All's Fair in Love and War
by aberistwith
Summary: Anya has family problems, and seeks refuge from her abusive mother at her cousin Kagome's house. Inuyasha barges in to get Kagome to go back to the feudal era, and realizes his mistake. Anya is taken to feudal Japan to put her priestess powers to use.R
1. Priestess

**Priestess**

"_Get out! Don't ever come back!"_ shouted my mom. She'd been having another of her drunken rages, the ones where she'd hit me so hard that I'd bruise and bleed. This time I hit her back, and she was throwing me out. I'd been going to run away anyways, just that now I had an excuse. I ran upstairs to my room, and grabbed the last of my things; my backpack and my

¥400 000 that I'd periodically stolen from my mom's purse, and my savings from my work and babysitting.

Mom had been this way since my father had died when I was seven, and since then I've been taking money, and waiting until I was 18. Although I was only 17, and I wasn't even finished highschool, I was glad to be out of there.

The only thing I had to think about was where I was going to live. I thought of all my relatives, and finally came to the conclusion that I'd stay with my Aunt Higurashi, and my cousin Kagome, and Sota and my Grandpa.

Knowing it was rude to just barge into someone's house; even if I practically lived there anyways; I thought that I'd call up and ask if it was alright to go over.

"Ring……Ring……Ring……Hello?" It was my aunt.

"Hi auntie, its Anya. Is it alright if I come over for the night?" I asked not quite able to keep the sobs back.

"Of course dearie, what's the matter?" she asked with concern.

I didn't know what to tell her. How could I tell her that after all the martial arts training, and priestess training, and religious rituals, and everything I've done over at the shrine, how could I tell her that my mother beats me? I couldn't do it over the phone that was for sure. "I'll tell you when I get there okay?" I asked, unable to keep the tears from flowing now. I was trying to keep my eyes on the road, but it was getting very blurry.

"Alright, just be careful Anya. I'll put a pot of tea on to stew, and when you get here we'll talk." she sounded very motherly, and I felt a bit better.

I hung up my cellphone, and wiped my eyes. Then I hurried over there in my car. The car used to belong to my father, but now I used it because my mom had her own. Everything that belonged to me was now in my car, everything except my furniture, that stuff is too big to move in one, day. I would go back tomorrow and get it all, while my mom was at work.

I pulled into the shrine's parking lot and looked up the hundred steps to me haven, I'll be safe there, I just know it.

I'd been through fifteen years of martial arts training at the shrine, Grandpa had taught me since I was only three years old. The Gift had been discovered in me at a very early age, and everyone thought it would be good if I learned to control my powers. I was a priestess. My father had been the firstborn child, but my mom had persuaded him to pursue a career other than a priest of the Higurashi shrine. Since he wouldn't inherit it, that left Kagome's father, my father's twin brother. Both had died in a car accident, they'd been celebrating their birthday, and had both been killed. My mom hadn't recovered, and that's why she drank, I presumed.

I'd reached the top of the stairs, when I heard the door to the Bone Eater's well slide shut, and looked around. It was already dark out, but there was a full moon, so I could at least make out the figure of a girl.

"Anya? Is that you?" asked a voice which I identified as belonging to Kagome. She walked closer to me, I noticed the bag on her back and wondered why she was wearing it.

"Yeah, what were you doing in the well-house? Don't you know there's ancient demon bones in it?" I asked confused. It was already 9:30pm.

"Oh my gosh! What happened to you? You're all bruised and there's blood on you! You're bleeding!" she gasped at my split lip and eyebrow.

I'd completely forgotten to clean myself up in my haste to get away. I wasn't about to let it slip that my mom beats me though, and had to think fast. "Oh, well…I was coming over to see you here, and I saw this kid being picked on, and helped him out." I lied

"Well then Hero, let's get you cleaned-up" Kagome said. She took my hand and led me into the house.

I knew that I'd have to tell them sometime about my mom, but just not tonight. I don't want to think about it.

Mrs. Higurashi took one look at Anya when she walked in the door, and made the decision to never let her return to her mother again. "Oh my darling! What's happened to you?" She asked and flew upstairs for the peroxide and some bandages.

Anya sat down at the table after dumping her bag in the living room. She contemplated how she was going to break it to them, that their bother/son/uncle's wife beats her only child. Sighing, she went to rest her head on the table, before remembering the blood and jerking her head back up again.

"Anya, are you sure you're alright?" Kagome asked, figuring that her beloved cousin hadn't been telling her the truth about those cuts. Kagome frowned when her cousin nodded her head, she could tell that Anya was in pain, and not just physically, but emotionally aswell. She sat down beside her cousin and bent close to her, so that nobody could over hear her. "Is it your mom? Has she done this to you?"

Anya nodded her head, as tears spilled from her eyes. "Yes, she threw me out too. Ever since dad died she's been doing it." She whispered back.

Kagome sucked in her breath. Ten years, her cousin had been beaten for ten years! "You could have told us, we'd have done something about it!" She continued whispering. She caught sight of her mother returning with the stuff and placed a reassuring hand on her back.

"Let's have a look at you now, and you can tell me what happened." Mrs. Higurashi said reassuringly, and dampened the cloth with peroxide.

A moment of uneasiness flashed in Anya's eyes, but she decided that it was better out than in. "It was my mom…she was drunk and kicked me out." She confessed quietly, on the verge of tears again.

"Oh honey!" Mrs. Higurashi threw aside the cloth and took Anya up in her arms like a child and cradled her against her chest. "It's alright now, you're here with us, and you can stay here for as long as you need to." She comforted her niece as she rubbed small circles on her back.

"Thank-you Auntie." Anya replied through the tears that were now flooding from her eyes in streams.

The next morning Anya was feeling much better. She rose with the sun, which was about 6:00am and decided that she'd do a little katana training out in the courtyard before breakfast. It was a Saturday morning, so there was no need for her to worry about how she was going to get to school. She'd trained there for the better part of her life, and so she knew where all the training equipment was located.

Anya threw back the covers of her bed and immediately remade it. She dressed in her training outfit, which consisted of the kimono that was worn by members of the shrine. Anya had been trained as a priestess of the shrine. Their grandfather had also trained Kagome. Anya and Kagome had been trained together when they were very young, but Kagome had never taken the role quite as seriously as Anya had, until a year ago. Anya couldn't for the life of her figure out why such a change in heart, but it was good to have someone to perform rituals with ever now and then.

Closing her door quietly behind her, Anya made her way down the hallway to the stairs. She was sure to be as quiet as possible, so that she wouldn't wake anyone. As she walked into the kitchen, her grandpa, who was already awake and sitting at the table, greeted her.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up! By the looks of you I think you've got quite a bit of negative energy that needs releasing! Let's go I've got a new kata to teach you." Grandpa said and tossed the second katana that he'd been holding at her and headed out to the courtyard.

"Looks like you've been busy…" Anya commented upon entering the grounds, only to discover a major training field. There were all of the various dummies that were stored in the shed and all the various weapons that Anya had specialized in. They were all lined up in a row on the ground. There were her Sais, and her other various swords, her bow and arrows along with a target, presumably she was going to be doing some target practice. A smile broke out on her face and she turned to her grandpa and hugged him ferociously.

"Thank-you so much grandpa!" she exclaimed.

"You're welcome my dear. Take your mind off things for a while eh?" he spoke soothingly and hugged her back.

Anya and Grandpa had been training for over two hours when Mrs. Higurashi called them in for breakfast. It smelled so good when they walked into the kitchen. Kagome and Sota were just sitting down to eat, while Kagome's mom served them bacon and eggs.

"Wow Mrs. Higurashi! It looks so yummy!" Anya stated and sat down before a plate upon which Mrs. Higurashi served a heaping amount.

Everyone had eaten their fill and were getting up to leave when the door slid open revealing a young man dressed in a blood red kimono, with silver flowing hair and…DOG EARS! Anya's mouth fell open revealing her shock. Kagome's face went red, with either anger or embarrassment or even nervousness. Grandpa's hand flew to his forehead, and Mrs. Higurashi dropped her plate. Sota groaned and hit his head on the table.

"Crap." Inuyasha uttered upon seeing the new addition to the Higurashi dinner table. His eyes turned to Kagome's and flashed with fear at the anger he saw there. "No Kagome Wait!"

"SIT BOY!" Kagome shouted, and crossed her arms in a huff. "I told you not to come here! Now what am I going to do?" she muttered, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"Is that a demon?" Anya asked pointing. "Do you know him Kagome? What the Hell is going on here? Come on Kagome, remember no secrets!" she was interested now.

"Yeah you never told me about your mo-…most recent math test." Kagome caught herself just in time, thanks to a sharp eye from her mother, grandpa and brother.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

Inuyasha had by now recovered, and was getting up. "What was that for?" Inuyasha demanded, but shut his mouth immediately after another glance from Kagome.

"Anya…it's going to be a long story, but I guess I have to tell you, just you've got to promise that you won't repeat it to anyone other than one of us. Okay?"

Anya nodded her head vigorously "Yes tell me please!" she pleaded.

Kagome proceeded to tell Anya about the well, and then finding Inuyasha, and the Jewel of Four Souls, and Naraku, and the feudal era.

Anya listened attentively and finally clapped her hands in excitement. "I so envy you Kagome! I sure with I could go with you!" she sighed longingly. Anya thought of how she could start a new life there, where she could be free of her mother forever, and never have to see her again.

"Well, I don't mind if she comes, just hurry, cause we've caught a scent of Naraku. Sesshomaru's gone off ahead like the pompous ass that he is, and we've had to wait for you!" Inuyasha said gruffly, and crossed his arms.

"Well, I guess you might be able to get through, Lord knows you're a stronger priestess than I am…" Kagome said thoughtfully.

"What! She's a better priestess than you are? Crap Kagome! You're the strongest priestess after Midoriko and Kikyo!" Inuyasha was finding it hard to believe that anyone had that much power.

"Shut-up Inuyasha, she basically taught me everything about channeling my energy. You don't know what you're talking about! So keep out of it!" Kagome snapped, she'd just about had enough of his impatience.

"Whatever, just hurry, cause we need to get going. If she can get through, all the better, we could use the extra power." Inuyasha replied as he started pacing the room.

"Alright, let me just go grab my things. Anya…you'd better do the same thing…and we'll see if you can get back too. We are cousins…maybe it'll work." Kagome looked her up and down. Anya's aura was definitely stronger than hers was, so it would probably work. Her father had been the firstborn, even though they were twins. Kagome shook her head and rushed up the stairs with her cousin at her heels, and grabbed everything that she'd need.

"So do you think it'll work?" Anya asked her.

Kagome thought for a second, "If it doesn't then I'll come back and give you a jewel shard." She turned and ran out to the well. "What the hell has been going on here?" she asked upon seeing the mass of weapons.

Inuyasha huffed "That's why I rushed in the house, I saw all the weapons…" Inuyasha stated.

Anya laughed sheepishly, "Well, I was training with Grandpa…" she said picking up all her weapons, "It's the warring states era right?"

"Yeah…it is." Kagome replied after grabbing her bow and arrows.

"These will be handy then." Anya stated as she dressed herself in the armor and the sheaths, and placed her weapons in them. She then strapped her bow and quiver full of arrows to her back, and smiled with satisfaction. "I'm glad that Grandpa trained me how to use them now!" She said pleased and followed the other two to the well.

"You go first Anya, then if it doesn't work I'll throw you down a shard" Kagome said staring at the two shards she had in her bottle.

"Just jump down?" Anya asked looking down the dark well.

"Yeah, try to concentrate your power to your feet to pierce through the well." Kagome suggested.

"'Kay, see you on the other side." Anya said and jumped. A blue glow shot up from the well, and she was gone.

"Well, I guess she can get back then without a shard…she is more powerful than you Kagome." Inuyasha said impressed. He jumped after her, followed closely by Kagome.

Anya jumped when she saw Inuyasha appear beside her, and Kagome after. "I made it! Does it always feel like you're being ripped from your body?"

"What? No, why do you say that?" Inuyasha asked, he never felt like he was being ripped from his body when he traveled through the well.

"Maybe you should use a shard the next time you go…I have a feeling that if you'd been just a little less powerful, your soul might have actually been ripped from your body…" Kagome said uneasily.

"Oh." Inuyasha said interested. He was curious about this new girl. So she was more powerful than Kagome. Does that mean she's more powerful than Kikyo was? Had Kikyo known about the well before she died?

"Well, I'll all for travelling through time, but how are we going to get out of here?" Anya asked. Inuyasha blocked the vine from her view.

Inuyasha smiled, and grabbed her against him and wrapped his arms around her. He jumped up out of the well and placed her gently on the grass, and went back down for Kagome.

Anya looked around her, and saw two other humans staring shocked at her. She smiled at them, but didn't approach them until Kagome was with her again.

Inuyasha had jumped down the well again to get Kagome, and paused while they were down there. "So, your cousin's pretty powerful then…" he stated.

"Yeah, her father was the oldest, and should have inherited the shrine, rather than us. But he had a very good job, and although he was the better priest and wanted to be the priest, my aunt persuaded him to take the doctoring job that was offered. My father didn't have the gift like his brother had, sadly, but he'd learned it and tried his hardest. Grandpa said the Gift often skips generations, and so my father had taken it in the hopes that one of us would have the gift. Anya had it from birth, whereas with me it developed." Kagome informed him.

"Are you jealous?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm not jealous! She's inheriting the shrine anyways! That was how it was going to be! Neither Sota or I had the gift, but she did, so she's inheriting it!" Kagome snapped, even though she wouldn't admit it, she was sort of angry with her cousin for being better than she was. Kagome sighed, and all her jealousy flowed with her. Her cousin was going through a hard time right now, and the escape to the feudal era would be good to get her mind off of things. "Thanks Inuyasha." She muttered.

Inuyasha smiled, he'd sensed the jealousy flow out of her and was pleased that their trip wouldn't be filled with negativity between the two cousins. He hugged Kagome close and lifted her out of the well.

Kagome ran over to Anya and grabbed her by the hand. "Anya, this is Sango, and Kirara, and this is Shippo." She said pointing to them in turn, "and that's Miroku, but be careful about his hand." she warned her with a sly glance at Miroku.

"Pleased to meet you Anya." Miroku offered his hand to Anya while giving her a silky smile.

"Nice to meet you too Miroku." Anya replied smiling uneasily. She was feeling a bit nervous about his smile; there was something quite lecherous in it. She tried to pull her hand back from his grasp, but he was holding it too tightly. Anya realized what his other hand was doing, and became furious. Her face turned red, and she flicked her wrist back to drop her dagger down from her right forearm. Before Miroku knew what was happening, he found that he had a very sharp dagger pointed at his throat. "Try that again and I'll skin you." Anya breathed in fury. "Do you understand?"

Miroku gulped and nodded his comprehension. He let out a breath when the point left his throat.

Anya glanced around at Kagome, who was stifling a laugh. She couldn't believe that they'd just stood there watching her be assaulted! She jammed her dagger back into its holster and breathed deeply.

"Don't worry yourself Anya, he only does it to test you." Kagome said through giggles. "He mostly only does it to Sango though, he probably won't do it again." she reassured her cousin.

"I'm Sango, it's nice to meet you, and don't think any less of us because of the lecherous monk there." she smiled indicated to Miroku with a wave of her hand in his direction, and smiled at Anya.

Anya greeted everyone in turn and took a special liking to Kirara, who was immediately upon her shoulder mewing softly in her ear. Anya giggled and stroked Kirara's fur, scratching her behind the ear until she purred.

That afternoon they set off in the direction that Sesshomaru had been travelling. The wanted to catch-up with him pretty fast, Inuyasha more for the fact that he didn't want his brother to beat him to Naraku, because _he_ wanted to be the one to kill him. So the whole day was spent running, sometimes walking, to catch-up with them.

In truth Sesshomaru wasn't that far ahead, and had been travelling slowly because of Rin and Jaken needing to stop often for 'diner breaks'. This caused much aggravation for Sesshomaru, but he let none of his irritation show in his features and remained cool and detached, or rather calmly indifferent.

It took little over 29 hours to catch-up with Sesshomaru even after his two-day start. Though when they reached him, all Kagome and Anya could do were to fall down on the grass asleep in seconds. Shippo was already asleep on Kirara, who had curled up into a ball the moment they'd arrived.

Inuyasha sniffed at them disbelieving what he was seeing, "Are they alright?" he asked Sango and Miroku while poking them each in turn with a stick.

"Inuyasha! Stop that this instance! It's disrespectful to poke sleeping women with sticks!" Miroku scolded and snatched the stick out of his hands. He whacked Inuyasha on the head with it and threw it into the woods.  
"Hey! What was that for!" Inuyasha demanded, standing up to confront Miroku.

"Knock it off you two!" Sango scolded irritably. She'd been exhausting her last reserves of endurance through the past day and all she wanted to do now was sleep.

"Idiots" was the calm reply that came from Sesshomaru, he turned his back and walked away, stopping a few feet from where his younger brother and his friends were sleeping, and sat down with his back to a tree, claiming first watch.

Sango huffed and lay down on the grass, too tired to make a fire and unroll her pack and blankets; it was a warm night afterall. "Get some sleep before we have to be moving again tomorrow." She said irritably and lay her head down, asleep in seconds.

"I agree with Sango, get some sleep, you've got second watch Inuyasha." Miroku announced and followed Sango into the land of the sleeping.

"Humph" Inuyasha muttered and sat against a tree with his sword at his chest, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Sometime later that night Inuyasha was woken to the sensation of a foot kicking his arm. He immediately drew his sword. As the haze of sleep left him, he realized it was his brother. "What'd you kick me for?" He asked groggily and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"It's your watch, unless you'd like me to take your watch." replied Sesshomaru with his ever-present indifference.

"No thank-you." Inuyasha replied coldly, and marched over to sit in the spot Sesshomaru had been sitting, and watched, listened and felt his surroundings.

Sesshomaru lay down in the grass; he wasn't particularly tired, after the past two days of light travel. He looked over at the newcomer to the group, only now being able to actually look at her. He first noticed her weapons, they were crafted differently than in this area, so she must be from the continent. He frowned, her clothing was much of the same material as the other girl his half-demon brother kept around with him. He was about to lay his head down and go to sleep when he noticed that she was stirring. Her eyes were fluttering and her chest rose and fell much quicker than before. Sesshomaru watched as she seemed to be having a nightmare. Suddenly, she grabbed her sai and with one quick and deadly motion she sliced the air in front of her face; should a head have been there, it would be rolling on the ground now.

Anya sat up in a cold sweat. She'd felt someone watching her in her sleep, and looked around to see where from, when she locked gazes with Sesshomaru. She frowned, why was he watching her? Glaring at him, she turned her back and lay back down, sleep taking her once again.

Sesshomaru smirked. He'd seen that look before, the one that said '_Piss off_', and the look that she'd just given him. From this, he decided that she'd been trained from an early age in the art of watching one's back. He was beginning to like the new member of his group, though he would never admit it to anyone but himself. Grinning openly, he took in her form. She had hip-length auburn hair, and from what he could see in the moonlight piercing blue eyes. She was shapely, he liked that. He smirked as his thoughts dwelled upon her, and lay down and fell asleep.

In the morning, they set out again on the road to finding Naraku. Everyone told Anya of their experiences with Naraku, and how he'd tricked them, and betrayed them all. Sesshomaru didn't tell his story, and Anya didn't think he looked the type to do much talking.

Anya ran up alongside Kagome. She was feeling so much better about her mother now that they had bigger things to worry about. She felt like there was nothing in the world to worry about anymore, and that she was free!

Kagome looked over at her cousin's smiling face. She really was beautiful, even though she'd slept on the forest floor and her hair was a complete wreck. "Anya, you've got branches in your hair!" Kagome said suddenly and plucked one out. Instead of a branch, Kagome had pulled out a needle.

Anya smiled sheepishly, "It's not a branch Kagome." she whispered. "I just didn't want to be caught without a weapon, and they're good for picking locks too!" she smiled and stuck the needle back into her messy-bun.

"Humph, how much stuff did you bring?" Kagome asked, she looked her up and down.

"Well, there's my Sai that are on the thigh holsters, my daggers on my forearms, my needles in my hair. I've got a knife on my right ankle and a short-sword on my left thigh. My tonfa are hanging from my sash at the back…and I think that's it. No wait, I've got another knife on my left ankle too." Anya listed happily.

Sesshomaru listened with slight interest as his eyes darted to the places she'd specified. _Why should a woman carry so many weapons? Her cousin doesn't arm herself so heavily. Then again her cousin does rely on that stupid half demon of a brother of mine to protect her…_ Sesshomaru was pondering where Anya was from, when he sensed a demon close by. He noticed Anya's hands fly instinctively to her sai.

Anya sensed the demon approaching, and she drew her sai. "Kagome, get behind me." she ordered quietly as she stopped and faced the direction from which she sensed the demon's approach.

Kagome got behind Anya. "I don't sense a jewel shard, " she said.

"Neither do I, but there's a demon coming towards us." Anya replied.

By that time Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha had all stopped walking and held their weapons out, ready to attack.

The demon had stopped moving towards them, realizing that his prey was aware or his presence.

Anya grew slightly impatient. "I'll go check it out." Anya spoke quietly and darted off the trail into the forest. She didn't have a keen sense of smell, like Inuyasha or Sesshomaru, but she had excellent hearing and seeing. She pinpointed the demon straight away. He was crouching low behind a bush, watching her. She decided to circle around him and attack from above, when he sprung out at her.

Sesshomaru had followed her into the forest to assess her capabilities. He stopped behind a tree and watched her. He saw the demon crouching behind the bush to her right, and saw her eyes dart to him, and then up. He frowned; _she may be trained very well, but her every move is displayed in her body language._ He was just about to go and help her, when the demon leapt out at her, and he noticed her smirk.

Sai already in hand, Anya sent a quick jab to her opponent's abdomen, immobilizing the demon immediately. The demon was sent sprawling on the ground at her feet. She kicked him onto his back, surprisingly he was still conscious. "Why are you following us?" she demanded, replacing her sai and grabbing her short-sword she placed the tip of the blade at his throat.

"The jewel shards." replied the demon, he was breathing deeply and feeling light-headed because of the blood that was pouring out of his abdomen.

"You mean to tell me that you came after us, for one measly jewel shard? Filthy liar, now tell the truth! Who sent you? Was it Naraku? Speak up now, or you loose your head." Anya shot darkly at him. Her eyes flashed with purple energy to strike fear into the demon.

"Naraku sent me, he said to hold you off so that he could get away to-" the demon started hastily. His words were silenced by a gust of wind, followed by blades.

Anya swore, and jumped out of the way, dropping her sword and whipping out her sai once again. She spun around to see where the attack had come from, and saw a feather flying off into the sky. From what the others had told her, she decided that must have been Kagura. Anya cursed under her breath, and glanced at the demon she'd been interrogating, he was completely mutilated. She grabbed her short-sword, cleaned off all the blood and grumpily shoved it back into its holster. Sighing, she headed back to the others, when she walked into Sesshomaru, who had stepped out in front of her.

He frowned down at her as she rubbed her head where she'd knocked it on his breastplate armor. _How had she gotten him to talk like that, almost giving away Naraku's exact location?_

Anya looked up at Sesshomaru frowning down at her. She peered innocently into his eyes, thinking how beautiful they were, and deciding that he had been evaluating her skill. She smirked, "So, you were there the whole time huh? Like what you see?" She grinned and pushed past him, heading back to the trail and leaving Sesshomaru to stare after her deciding his answer.

The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth twitched, she was beginning to grow on him. He had definitely liked what he'd seen, especially the innocent way that she'd gazed into his eyes, after brutally interrogating a demon. Yes, she was definitely a woman not to be trifled with; he wanted to see what she was truly capable of. He walked back to the rest of the group thinking about how he was going to bring up a sparring match against her, in the middle of the hunt for Naraku.


	2. Dangerous Confession

Dangerous Confession 

"Well?" asked Kagome when she spotted Anya. She'd been getting a bit worried with her just disappearing like that, and then Sesshomaru following her. One thing that she'd learned about Sesshomaru during her travels with him was that he didn't just disappear into the woods to check something out, unless he thought it was really important.

"Well what?" Anya replied, still covered in demon blood.

"Anya! What was all that about? Why are you covered in blood?" Kagome nearly shrieked, nearly frantic. "You run off just like that, leaving me here wondering what's happened to you! You could have died! It's not modern day here you know there are people who would really kill you for just walking past them! Trust me alright! Don't go off on your own again please." Kagome pleaded.

"I wasn't alone." Anya stated blankly, slight confusion displaying in her features as Sesshomaru exited the woods.

Kagome glanced over at Sesshomaru, "Oh, well I thought… why are you covered in blood?" she demanded stepping back from Anya and holding her nose. "Eww, it really stinks Anya! Go find a river and wash yourself!"

"Oh, I saw a river a small ways back," Sango suggested, "it's not really that far, and we could catch-up with you in a bit."

Anya smiled at her "That's great, thank-you Sango." she said, and grabbing her bag, she followed Sango back on the trail.

Once Anya and Sango had left, Inuyasha walked over to his brother. "Was it Naraku?" he asked quietly.

"Apparently the demon was covering for Naraku while he made his escape. Anya was just getting him to talk, when Kagura killed him. That girl is very well trained, where did you find her?" Sesshomaru asked indifferent.

"Anya was getting him to talk? Wow, I've never been able to get any of Naraku's demons to talk…" Inuyasha contemplated.

"That's because you are impulsive and render them so that they cannot talk." Sesshomaru stated plainly. He glanced over his shoulder at Anya's retreating form. "She is dangerous. Be warned brother, do not give her reason to be angry with you." he cautioned, and beckoned Jaken and Rin with a glance.

Inuyasha wandered over to Miroku and Kagome to relay the information about Naraku. He kept the warning about Anya to himself though, not sure how Kagome would take to gossiping about her cousin. From what he could see they were very close in age, and seemed very close personally aswell.

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru?" recited the two voices in unison. They'd kept quiet for the better part of the journey.

"Jaken, this journey has become unsafe for Rin to accompany, I want you to take her back to the Western Lands. My palace will keep her safe." Sesshomaru ordered as he pulled a letter out of his kimono. "Give this to the head Guard, it is orders to protect her at all cost. Rin, I want you to stay in the palace, I don't need to tell you twice do I?" He asked seriously.

Rin shook her head no. "I won't leave the Palace Lord Sesshomaru but…"

"Go on."

"-can Shippo come too?" she asked quickly, biting her lip nervously afterwards.

"That is not my decision to make child." He answered truthfully, however much he wanted to give everything that this girl wanted to her, it was up to the fox demon if he was to go with her or not. Sesshomaru had a suspicion that he would want to stay though. "Why don't you ask him Rin." he suggested.

Rin's face lit up. "Really? Lord Sesshomaru I'll do just that!" she exclaimed and ran off to ask Shippo to go with her.

"Why do you humor her so Milord? She's just a useless human! Why don't you just abandon her in a human village, certainly they would take her in and care for her!" Jaken complained.

Sesshomaru lifted his foot and stepped on Jaken, "I'll do what I want to, and you will not presume to understand my reasons for keeping the girl around."

"Of course Milord, forgive me for questioning your methods." Jaken pleaded, his voice muffled from Sesshomaru's foot on his face.

Sesshomaru began walking away, following the scent of Naraku once again, they'd already lost precious time here fooling around. "Leave immediately Jaken, and remain at the Palace until I return."

"Yes Milord." Jaken bowed. He shoved the letter into his kimono, and went to gather Rin.

It was decided that Shippo would go back with Rin and Jaken, this was thanks to Kagome's urgings that she keeps him safe from harm. So once Anya and Sango returned, they all bade a somewhat tearful farewell to the children, and continued on their journey.

Dusk arrived, and Kagome decided that it was time to set up camp. Kagome, Sango and Miroku gathered firewood while Anya disappeared into the woods to find food. Inuyasha did the same as Anya, though unaware of her actions. Sesshomaru strayed from the group and followed Anya, he thought that now would be a good time to request a match against her.

"Sango," Kagome whispered as she watched Sesshomaru trail after her cousin, "do you think there's anything going on between Sesshomaru and Anya?" she asked frowning into the night.

"Now that you mention it, he does seem to be following her around a lot." Miroku replied thoughtfully, butting into the conversation.

"Yes, Miroku's right. He does stare at her a lot, but it seems very strange because doesn't Sesshomaru despise humans?" Sango added, she'd stopped walking with the wood still in her arms and was staring after Sesshomaru.

"Maybe he's changed? I mean, he seems to care for Rin doesn't he?" Kagome pondered as she dropped a bushel of twigs onto the pile.

"I suspect that he's just curious about her, and wants to test her power." replied Miroku.

"That's a shame, I think they would make a good couple." Sango said wistfully.

"Nah, Sesshomaru's not her type, and she already has a great boyfriend back home. His name's Stephen and he's perfect for her. Okay, maybe he is a bit wimpy, but she more than makes up for him. They're perfect for eachother, and I won't have Sesshomaru ruining their love!" Kagome made a violent gesture in Sesshomaru's direction and her eyes flashed purple. Her temper soon died down though and she regained control.

"Perhaps, but feelings change Kagome." Sango pointed out, her eyes darted to Miroku's and she blushed. She'd started out disliking Miroku very much, but now, after everything they'd been through she realized that she liked him, maybe even loved him. She could never tell him though, she was sure that he didn't feel the same way because he was always flirting with other women, and never with her, not that she'd ever allow him to.

"What? Who's had a change of heart?" Inuyasha demanded as he appeared from the woods carrying a rabbit.

"Oh nothing! You wouldn't understand us anyways." Kagome answered flippantly, with a wave of her hand as though to say 'Ignore us and continue what you were doing.'

"No I heard something about Sesshomaru and love. That is a cause for much attention, it's a very dangerous subject, and seriously, don't let him catch you talking about it, he'd go insane and kill us all. Now tell me all about It." said Inuyasha in a very serious tone.

"The girls were speculating about how whenever Anya decides to vanish, Sesshomaru follows her." Miroku obliged Inuyasha's curiosity.

"He does? That's weird, she's a human! He hates humans! He hates me cause I'm a half human! If he ever chose a human for a mate, I think I would die of shock!" Inuyasha replied. "No, he doesn't like her, he probably just wants to see how strong she is. It's most likely that he saw all her shiny weapons, and was uncharacteristically curious about the shiny new warrior. I'll bet he's challenging her to a sparring match right now. Though I have to say, she is the deadliest human I've ever come across." Inuyasha speculated.

"Yeah, she was trained since three in my family's martial arts. She's a 3rd degree black belt I think." informed Kagome.

"Trained from three? I was trained from two, I'm older and a demon-slayer and I doubt that even I could beat her. No, she's had some real motivation to get as strong as she is…and whatever it was, it must be a terrible burden to carry." Sango sighed heavily.

"Yes, whenever she is around I sense a deep hurting underlying all of the cheerfulness around her." Miroku added. By now they'd started the fire already and were roasting the rabbit.

"I don't notice anything sad about her, are you sure? She's always so happy." Inuyasha said crossing his arms.

"Do you know what has happened to her Kagome?" Miroku asked, he could tell she was hiding something by her posture, slumped with her head in her hands.

" I shouldn't say really, it took her ten years to tell me and she didn't really even tell me, I figured it out on my own when she came over with a split lip and cut eyebrow! Mom knew though, I don't know how. Though since she'd known, then why hadn't she put a stop to it all? That's what I don't get." Kagome hushed the sadness she felt for her cousin deepening. If she'd only done something when she'd first noticed the bruises. Kagome sighed, but decided to tell them. "It's her mother. After our fathers died, Anya's mom started drinking and coming home late from work drunk. Anya was only seven when it started, and didn't really know what to do. I guess she thought that she'd been bad, and that her mom was punishing her. Then it started happening every night, that was about four years ago, and I started to notice all the bruises. She told me that she was just clumsy, and I never thought she was lying to me. Though when we practiced martial arts together, she always had the better balance. Then a week ago, she ran away, or was kicked out, one of the two, and now we're here." Kagome finished, and looking around at her friends' sad and angry faces, she felt sorry for never paying enough attention to her cousin to be able to tell when she was lying, especially about something as important as this.

"I noticed all the bruises on her when we were bathing, and asked about them. She told me it was from sleeping on the ground." Sango admitted ruefully.

"Her mother beats her? Does this happen a lot where you are from Kagome?" Miroku asked.

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, it happens too much. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of death from where I am, sadly. One out of every four children has a form of parental abuse used on them. Then, when they grow up, they attract to people who treat them like their parents did, and the cycle continues." Kagome whispered. "That's the future Miroku."

"Peh, and you said that it wasn't as dangerous in your time Kagome." Inuyasha accused.

"When I said that, I meant that you don't have to walk around armed to the teeth in fear for your life all the time, and less percentage of people die annually." Kagome said irritated.

"Well _I _wouldn't want to live in your time. It sounds like a terrible place from what you've just told us." Sango decided.

"It's not really all that bad, there are programs to help children who are faced with that kind of a situation, and more often than not, it gets noticed by a teacher or a councilor or friends. So it's not that bad. Just didn't catch it soon enough for Anya's sake that's all, but she's safe now." Kagome replied.

Everyone sat quietly listening to the crackling of the fire and the sound of the forest, watching the beautiful sunset just beyond the mountains.

Sesshomaru had listened to the conversation. '_One in every four children'… Rin was one such child, and now Anya. I seem to attract these characters; does that mean that I am like their parents? No, I would never lay a hand in anger on a child. _He confirmed. He may be on a journey for supreme conquest, but even he had standards, his father had taught him that much. Turning swiftly into a slight breeze, he walked away to find Anya and challenge her to a sparring match while there was still light enough for her to see.

The breeze blew past Inuyasha, who picked-up the scent of his brother and his eyes darted to the source. He'd been listening the whole time. _Humph, maybe Kagome was right, and he is interested in Anya. Though it's not that big of a surprise, she is definitely good looking enough to attract the attention of my brother. Now he knows what she's been through…I wonder what she'll do when she finds out that Kagome told us…_ Inuyasha pondered. _Probably kill us all._ He decided grimly, no doubts about her ability.

"Well, it looks like the rabbit is finished. Should we wait for Anya and Sesshomaru?" Sango asked prodding the rabbit with a stick.

"Well, Sesshomaru doesn't eat cooked meat and we can save some for Anya, I have a feeling that she won't be back for a while." Inuyasha replied as he grabbed the rabbit and tore off a piece for himself and started eating.

Anya walked out of the woods carrying six fish skewered on sticks. She was smiling as she ran up to them. "Oh good, you've got a fire going! I found a stream just a ways ahead and it was full of fish! I thought I'd catch some for dinner, cause I only have a week's worth of noodles to eat. They keep forever, so the longer they go, the better." she sat down cheerfully on a log beside Sango and Kagome.

"Did you see Sesshomaru while you were in there?" Inuyasha asked motioning to the woods and sniffing experimentally at the fish.

"No, why? Hasn't he come back yet?" she asked looking around to where he'd pointed. "Do you want me to go look for him?"

"No, just wondered where he'd got to, it's not really any of my business where he goes." Inuyasha replied indifferently. He grabbed the fish and placed them around the fire, teepee style, to cook.

Kagome and Sango shared a look of amusement. They knew he really cared about his brother, despite all his attempts at hiding it.

"Meh, he's a strong guy. S'not like he needs anyone to look out for him." Anya added with the same tone of indifference. "Ooh rabbit!" she exclaimed noticing it for the first time.

"Here Anya, I'm not very hungry." Miroku said as he passed her his share aswell.

Anya frowned slightly, glancing around at everyone's downcast faces and coming to a conclusion she rounded on Kagome. "You told them didn't you?" her voice was quiet, emotionless.

Kagome brought her eyes to meet Anya's. What she saw was anger and broken trust. "I'm sorry Anya, it wasn't my place to tell. Please forgive me?" she asked apologetic.

Anya's eyes turned cold, and she set her lips firmly together. "You had no right Kagome. Why do you think I keep it to myself?" Anya's voice was rising. "I'll forgive you, but right now, I just need to be alone." she raised from the log bench, gathered her things and stalked off into the forest.

Kagome's eyes started watering. "I shouldn't have told you guys. I'm so sorry!" she whispered. "I'm going to bed." she said and went over to her bedroll.

Miroku sighed, "I shouldn't have pushed her. Anya must be feeling very betrayed right now." he shifted on the log to poke at the fire.

"Should have left well enough alone if you ask me." Inuyasha folded his arms and leaned back against the log.

"I'm going to find Anya, it's getting dark and the woods aren't safe for her to be alone." Sango decided, and rose to follow Anya.

"I think you should leave her be Sango, she can take care of herself very well." Miroku warned half-heartedly.

"Well, that's your opinion. What girls say isn't always what they mean." she replied, and disappeared into the dark, grabbing her weapons as she passed by them.

Anya walked back to the small stream that she'd found earlier and sat down on a boulder. Tears were flowing freely by now and the faint smell of salt filled the air. "I was stupid to tell her, she can never keep a secret!" Anya whispered to the trees. "I can tell you though, you're just a tree, and you can't speak." she admitted bitterly.

"You're wrong, trees speak. If you listen carefully to the rustling of the leaves."

Anya whipped around startled by the sudden voice. It was Sesshomaru, she could tell because of his white kimono. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, and returned to her position on the rock. "You sure pick the best moments to approach me you know." she muttered.

"You shouldn't dwell on the past, it has no power in the future." he spoke quietly, not sure why he was comforting this girl. He frowned, now he wouldn't be able to challenge her. Too bad.

"Yeah well, you don't know what my past has been. Unless the trees told you."

"The trees tell me everything." he replied, "If you wish to keep secrets, do not say them out loud, you can never know who is listening."

"Just go away. I don't very much feel like stripping myself bare for you. Kagome's already done enough, just leave me please." she pleaded, her walls turning from diamond to glass.

"It isn't safe for you here at night. If you insist on staying here, then I will stay with you. Do not presume to think you can order me around." he growled low.

"Humph, what are you, some kind of Emperor or something?"

"I am the Lord of the Western Lands, but that doesn't really have very much relevance at the moment. If you want me to leave, you'll have to defeat me." he challenged.

"Heh, you're crazy if you think I could beat you and I don't even want to try, Sesshomaru." she replied, calling him by name for the first time.

Sesshomaru inwardly flinched when she'd said his name. _She knows that she's no match for me_, he thought _at least she's got sense enough to be cautious, not like my stupid half brother and his friends. _"Yes, you are no match for me." he admitted confidently.

"Besides, if I fight you, then you'll know all my attacks and I'll have nothing left if ever you turn on me." she added calmly.

"So you trust me then?" He asked, not wanting it to seem like he really cared about the answer.

"Heh, don't make me laugh. I trusted Kagome; she was the only person that I ever trusted. I don't trust anyone anymore. So don't flatter yourself, I don't trust that easily." she told him. "What about you? You don't seem to me to be a trusting person, unlike Inuyasha."

"Yes, I have no need for trust. Trust leads to dependence, and in these times, that is how you are killed." he replied. Though he had to wonder, was he beginning to trust her?

Anya smiled, "Exactly. You understand me at least." her words whispered through the wind, the leaves rustling the message away into the world. The breeze slipped through her clothing and blew her hair all around her. She closed her eyes, letting the goosebumps wash over her in waves, refreshing, crisp wind whistled to her, telling her over and over how trust is necessary. She listened, but her opinion still stood. Forgiveness she could manage, but to repair a broken trust would take time, lots of time. Shivering, she pulled her cover over her and sighed as the warmth swept over her.

Silently, Sesshomaru turned and left her alone. He made his way back to the camp, replaying their conversation in his head, wondering at his choice of words. They certainly seemed much differently than anything he would ever say to anyone. When he was around her, they just flowed from his mouth, as though it was natural and they'd known eachother forever. _"You understand me at least." _whispered the wind as it rustled by, and he heard her voice again, her sweet, innocent voice.

Sango found her at last, curled up on the flatness of a boulder, her covers wrapped around her like a cocoon. She wasn't asleep though, and glanced at Sango as she approached. It had been an hour since Sesshomaru had left her, and she was just beginning to drift into sleep.

"How are you doing Anya?" asked Sango as she sat down next to her.

"I'm alright I suppose, as good as anyone who's secrets have just been exposed." she replied a chill coating her words. "Though, knowing Kagome as I do, she can never keep a secret for very long." Anya added bitterly.

"Yes, she does seem that way." Sango agreed sighing in relief that she wasn't going to be talking to the air.

"You know, when we were fourteen, I told her that I liked a guy named Stephen. That was the biggest mistake of my life! Well, she kept it secret for two hours before she started playing matchmaker with us! Well, he went out with me, and turned out to be a total jerk, and I dumped him. Kagome still thinks I like him though, and is determined to get us back together." she laughed at the memory.

"She did mention him…" Sango admitted, she was glad that Anya was opening up to her like this, even if it wasn't really very important.

"Oh she did? Well she probably told you that he's my boyfriend then, and warned the monk not to make any advances right?" Anya asked, her voice slightly more animated than before.

"Something like that." Sango agreed. She thought back to the conversation about Sesshomaru and her and chuckled.

"Yeah, that's Kagome for you. She may be the biggest blabbermouth that ever lived, but she's always there for me. I can't stay mad with her, but she's going to have to work hard to earn my trust again… I'm not like her at all, and I can't trust easily." she admitted, not sure if she was jealous or piteous.

"She was really sorry, and went to bed in tears. I think she was just trying to help you. Also, Miroku knew something was up with you, and wanted to know what." Sango told her in a subdued tone.

"Well, I've never been very good at hiding my thoughts." Anya fiddled with her hair.

"Yeah, but that's because you're very expressive, and it makes it funny when you're trying to lie. So don't go changing anything about yourself, because you're a very rare person Anya. One day some guy is going to be very happy that he ever met you. So don't think we're going to treat you differently because of your past, our pasts are just as bad as yours…well, not Kagome's, but you get it right?"

"Well yeah I guess, but I never heard about Inuyasha's past… but that's for him to tell."

"Yes well, he only ever gives hints to his past, and won't really talk about it, but you know he's a half-demon, and that Sesshomaru is his half brother. Well, demons wouldn't accept him, and neither would humans, so he's always been an outcast." Sango informed.

They sat in silence for a while, just looking up at the clouded sky. The moon was just peaking from behind a cloud, and a few stars showed themselves. "Looks like it's clearing up. No rain afterall." Anya observed.

"Why don't we go back to the camp, we saved you your fish. They were really delicious by the way." Sango enticed her, when she'd heard Anya's stomach start growling.

"Well, I guess I am a bit hungry." Anya admitted, and started gathering her things together. She and Sango made their way back to the camp, where only Sesshomaru remained awake.


	3. Vanished

Vanished 

The first light of morning came quickly, and the camp awoke with the rising of the sun. Anya, on the other hand, slept well into breakfast and missed the pack-up. Sesshomaru frowned, she was usually the first one awake and she hadn't gone to bed that late the night before. He remembered her and Sango turning up at the camp around midnight. Six hours was enough for everyone else to sleep. Finally it came time to be heading out, and it was almost seven o'clock. Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha all glanced nervously at eachother as though to say "You be the one to wake her."

Sesshomaru had had quite enough of this nonsense and walked over to the sleeping Anya. Hearing a collective gasp of air from behind him, he gently prodded her with his foot. "Get-up, we're leaving." he said coldly, and turned her over with his foot.

Anya rolled over and her eyelids slowly started to rise, her gray-blue innocent eyes staring sleepily into Sesshomaru's fierce golden orbs. She suddenly became fully conscious, "Shoot, morning already?" she asked jumping out of bed and gathering her things together.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, as Sesshomaru walked away muttering "Cowards."

Anya had packed up in record time, and was eating leftover fish while walking with the rest of the gang. Kagome had apologized again and Anya had forgiven her again, and they were back to normal.

"So where did you go last night?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, well you remember I told you about that river where I caught all the fish? Well there's this rock there and it's pretty big, so I just went there." Anya replied with her mouth full. Very unbecoming for a lady to do, but what did she care? She was in the feudal era for goodness sake!

"Oh, I see." Kagome replied, her tone slightly subdued. Even though it was bright and sunny, she felt that Anya was still slightly angry with her. She could understand how she was feeling because, if she'd had the same thing done to her, she was sure that she wouldn't be quite as forgiving as Anya was being. Kagome knew that by the end of the day, everything would be the same between them once again. She smiled warmly at her cousin and felt an overwhelming urge to apologize again, but kept her mouth shut, she'd apologized enough already.

Anya gazed after Sesshomaru, who was walking up ahead. She couldn't tell if she liked him, or was annoyed by him. She thought back to her conversation with him the previous night, and blushed. The things that she'd said to him were a total breech of her character, she couldn't remember why she'd opened up to him like that, she'd not even done that with Kagome. She glanced at Kagome, who had slipped over to talk with Sango, and ran to catch-up with Sesshomaru. "Hey! What's up with you?" she asked taking another bite of the fish, she was almost finished.

"Nothing." he replied grumpily. Perhaps now that she was in a better mood, he could finally challenge her to a sparring match.

Anya raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "What? You wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" she asked curiously. His tone had completely changed from the night before, and she wondered why? Was it because everyone else was around them? Anya chuckled inwardly at his obvious dislike of Inuyasha.

"I wasn't aware that the was a 'right' side of the bed to awake upon." Sesshomaru said curiously, his interest peaked.

"Well, there isn't really, it's just a saying from where I am from. It is used to describe someone in a foul mood." Anya explained disappointed, the humor completely sucked from her comment.

"Well, you're wrong, this is my good mood." Sesshomaru replied.

"Pshaw, yeah right! You're such a liar Sesshomaru! You're just itching for a fight, I can tell! Well, I guess I'll take you up on your offer from last night, if it still stands?" Anya grinned mischievously, as she seemed to have caught his interest.

"Now?" he asked raising an eyebrow. He caught her mischievous grin, and smirked. This girl was very amusing.

"Don't be silly! Inuyasha would think you were trying to kill me! Kagome would purify you…well no, she doesn't have enough chi to purify you…so she'd try to purify you. Miroku would attempt to suck you up…need I continue?" Anya mused as she permitted the visions to linger in her mind for a time.

Sesshomaru grunted, knowing that she was right. "So your cousin isn't powerful enough to defeat me?" he asked.

"Well I wouldn't say that she doesn't have enough power…she just hasn't learned to channel it properly." Anya reflected. "She's very powerful when she's emotional…but not really a match for me. Though, don't think I'm anything special, I just threw more of my time into perfecting my control of my chi." Anya hurriedly rambled. Her face started turning red. "I'm not that powerful either, my grandfather told me that I could do so much more if I only stopped holding back. Though that's hard to do because I've been holding back so much, that I can't release my true power. I fear that if I did, then I would become uncontrollable and I would loose myself." she whispered. Once the words had left her mouth, her head snapped up and her eyes were wide as she clapped her hands over he mouth. "Oh gods I can't believe that I just told you that!"

"That's alright, I experience moments where I feel that I have to hold back my powers or risk releasing unwanted emotions." Sesshomaru told her. Yet again he was comforting her and he didn't even know why.

Anya calmed a bit when he revealed that about himself to her. She didn't feel as naked around him when he told her something about himself. Smiling, she decided that she did like Sesshomaru, even if he found her annoying. "Thank-you Sesshomaru. That made me feel a bit better." she smiled up at him.

Sesshomaru glanced down at her smiling face and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "So, tonight after we stop for the night, you will wander away claiming that you are looking for something to eat, and we will have a sparring match." Sesshomaru informed her.

"Sounds like a plan, just go easy on me because we already know the outcome of this little challenge." Anya mused as she stuffed the rest of the fish into her mouth and chewed.

Just as the sun was starting to descend in the sky, causing a kaleidoscope of colors to play across the horizon in reds, pinks and purples, the group decided to set up camp for the night. Anya stood on a small peninsula overlooking the sea; for they were very close to the ocean; and gazed at the sunset. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before! This was the first time while in the feudal era when she hadn't been completely surrounded by trees. Sesshomaru had told her to wander away searching for food and she'd found this beautiful little peninsula. It was just big enough to have a duel, though she was sure that Sesshomaru wouldn't be using his sword unless by some miracle she was beating him, then he might use it…

As Anya was waiting for Sesshomaru, she decided that this was a perfect place to meditate. She smiled as she sat cross-legged and shaped her body into the lotus position. Half closing her eyes and forming the Wheel of Dharma mudras with her hands, she started the breathing techniques to slow her heartbeat and blood flow. She focused on her heartbeat, hearing it beat slower and slower until it reached the speed of a sleeping person. As she concentrated on finding her center and the cavern where her power was located, she no longer heard anything around her and lost sense of time and existence.

Sesshomaru followed her scent to the small peninsula and smiled at her choice of battlefield. His smile faltered when he saw her, she was sitting meditating and he could see that she was there, but his senses told him that nothing was there at all. He reached out to touch her, but as his hand approached her shoulder, a lightning strike of purple energy shot out at him, and scorched his hand much the same as the Tetsusaiga did. He frowned and called out to her. "Anya!" but she didn't respond to him.

_Anya! Who is Anya? Is that me? _Anya's eyes became fully open once more, and the sounds of living returned to her ears. She started into the sunset, blankly.

Sesshomaru felt Anya's aura returning to her as she came out of whatever trance she was in. "Anya?" he asked seeing her eyes fully open, he didn't like the blank look in them though. He reached out to grasp her shoulder once more, hesitating where he had last been scorched, and was relieved to encounter no such resistance this time.

Anya felt someone grasp her shoulder, and the sight of living beings flooded her eyes. Startled, she blinked twice to clear her head. "Sesshomaru." she said startled.

"What were you doing just then?" He asked curiously and stood-up releasing her shoulder.

"I was meditating. Sorry, I must have gone deeper than I had meant to." Anya sheepishly turned her face away from him and stood-up.

Sesshomaru grunted. "Are we going to fight or not? It will be getting dark soon." He informed her and took an offensive stance.

Anya grinned and placed herself in a defensive stance to counter his attacks. "I know that one Sesshomaru."

"Yes, I see that you do." he changed his stance.

Anya smirked again, and changed her defense to match his. "You will have more ease at beating me in this stance, I've only just learned it." she swallowed and prepared herself for his attack.

It came with considerable force, but Anya managed to stay her ground, though she had no time to counter-attack before Sesshomaru launched another attack in a less defended location. His attack was blocked, but only just barely, and Anya brought her knee to his thigh but caught only his clothing. He quickly grabbed her thigh and held it tightly as he pulled her closer to him making her loose her balance. He let go of her thigh as she was sent tumbling backwards. Anya caught herself in time and sprung from her hands, landing on her feet.

"Wow, you know, you're actually faster than I thought!" Anya exclaimed as she saw that Sesshomaru was giving her a chance to catch her breath.

"I am disappointed in you. I was under the impression that you were much better at fighting than this." Sesshomaru frowned.

"Yes, well I told you that the style you chose was one that I'd only just learned. I left before I had time to master it." Anya explained. She saw that he was still frowning at her. "I assumed that we were having an organized match…was that not the case?" Anya frowned. She'd always learned that challenges were restricted to one style and it was considered an illegal move to switch between attack and defense styles.

"Those rules apply only to tournament matches. I want to see your skill." Sesshomaru told her. "You attack me now."

"Oh, so you want me to use my most powerful form?" she asked curiously. She thought back to the last tournament she'd been in and cringed. That had been when she had only just learned the style and had not perfected it. She'd put too much force into her attacks, and seriously hurt her opponent.

"Yes"

"You're sure about this? Cause I was disqualified from my last tournament for using it…" Anya pleaded with him. She didn't know if she was really going to hurt him with it or not.

"Good, that will be more of a challenge for me." Sesshomaru smiled.

"Alright, just give me a second to suppress my consciousness."

Sesshomaru frowned, _suppress her consciousness? _he thought before he realized what she meant. He tensed immediately recognizing her style. _Kyuhyuga Myuchengua, _'Dance of the gods'. The only people who knew this form were demons, so how did she come to learn it? He didn't like where this was leading, for the only way to determine the victor is by the death of the opponent. "Wait." he said, but it was too late.

When Anya's eyes opened again, her pupils were so dilated that nocolor was visible in her eyes. Anya was no longer in control of her body, and attacked Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru knew very well the style 'Dance of the gods' having used it numerous times in tournaments. It was very different with demons than with humans, and was deemed far too dangerous to be taught to humans. When a demon used this style, it was still very much in control of its own conscience, but with humans the style was far too powerful for a human, and so carnal instincts must take over.

Sesshomaru blocked Anya's every attack with ease, having fought so many times in this form. He finally delivered a blow sure to revive her consciousness, and was relieved when her pupils returned to normal. "How did you come to learn that style?" Sesshomaru demanded as he grabbed her arms and pinned her to the ground.

Anya's mind was in a haze, only vaguely aware of her actions. When she received the blow to her head, her conscience began to awaken. When she was again conscious, she found that she'd been pinned to the ground and Sesshomaru was on top of her pinning her wrists to the ground above her head. "Sesshomaru? Uhh, could you get off me? I think you've won…" she said nervous under his stern gaze.

"Tell me where you learned that form. Humans are not permitted to learn it because it's far too dangerous." he told her sternly.

"It has been in my family for centuries! My ancestor married a woman who taught it to her children, and so it has been passed down for centuries!" Anya exclaimed.

"A woman…" Sesshomaru said deep in thought. Then it hit him; she must have demon blood in her. "You have demon blood in you."

Anya's eyes shot wide open. "No way! I can't have demon blood! That was centuries of diluted demon blood, if that were even the case. There wouldn't be any in me!" Anya shouted, her face becoming red from the lack of oxygen. "Sesshomaru, can you please get off, I can't breathe." she said quietly this time.

Sesshomaru didn't move. "You will not use that form again until you awaken your demon blood. Do you understand me?"

"I don't have any demon blood Sesshomaru!" Anya whispered, exasperated. Her consciousness was beginning to falter.

"Do you understand me?" he demanded again.

"If I don't breathe I'm going to pass out!" Anya breathed, gasping. Sesshomaru was squashing her to get her to obey him.

"Promise me that you won't use it again!" he yelled.

"Okay!" Anya said with her last breath, she was beginning to see stars in front of her eyes as she struggled to stay conscious.

Sesshomaru released the pressure on her, but continued to pin her to the ground. While gazing at her gasping for air, he realized that she was a very beautiful woman, and very powerful for a human. "Now, admit defeat."

"A bit demanding aren't we?" Anya asked through gasps of air. "You win Sesshomaru! I can't possibly ever defeat you! There, are you satisfied now?" she was trying to steady her breathing, but for some reason the way that Sesshomaru was looking at her was making her heart beat faster.

"Yes." Sesshomaru grunted as he'd already made up his mind. He began leaning towards her, bringing their faces closer together.

Anya felt her face turning red as Sesshomaru started leaning towards her. He was going to kiss her! She'd never felt this nervous about a kiss since her first kiss, and even then it wasn't anything like what she was feeling now. Perhaps it was because she was in love with Sesshomaru. She stopped breathing; she was in love with him. It hit her like a shower of freezing water, and left her feeling weak and shaken.

Their lips met with such tenderness as would not be expected from Sesshomaru, each savoring the other's taste as though it were the only thing left in the world. They parted with a promise of secrecy, this kiss would stay between them, and only when truly alone would they let their feelings show.

Sesshomaru gazed down into Anya's eyes and saw, embedded within their depths, a love more pure than any he'd ever witnessed. For once in his life, he was truly happy. He smiled.

Once they returned to camp, there were none that suspected anything to have gone on between them. Anya went straight to her bed, she was very sore all over her body. The bruises of her fight with Sesshomaru were hurting and she was sure that by morning she would be black and blue. She just hoped that Kagome didn't freak-out or anything. Anya could tell that it was very late when she was finally lying down because when they'd returned to camp there was already the watch started and Inuyasha was sitting by the tree. He'd grunted when he'd seen them, having suspected that they'd have been sparring.

'_Were we really out for so long? It was only just at sunset that we began our fight, but now it's already very late! I must have really lost control of myself during the fight!'_ Anya thought as she rolled on her side, facing Sesshomaru and gazing at him. He was sitting with his back to a tree with his eyes closed. Anya noticed how peaceful he looked and was just remembering their kiss when he slowly opened his eyes.

Gazing at Anya through sleepy eyes he noticed that she was the one he'd sensed starting at him. '_I wonder how long it will take her cousin to find out about the kiss…'_ he thought. Personally he didn't care who knew because he was certain that she had demon blood in her and that if he could awaken it then she'd be acceptable as his mate. As he reflected upon these thoughts he realized just how irrational he was being. A week he'd been with her, not even, five days perhaps, and he was already thinking of taking her as a mate? He noticed her eyes becoming droopy as she rolled over and he decided that he'd better get some sleep.

Sometime later that night Anya awoke. She found that no matter what she did, she just couldn't get back to sleep. Instead of getting angry, she made her way over to Miroku who had the second watch and sat down. "I'll take the watch if you like, I can't sleep." she offered kindly.

Miroku gave her a look of gratitude. "Yes thank-you Anya." Miroku replied before making his way over to the bedrolls rubbing his tired eyes.

Anya sighed and stared up at the hypnotizing moon. Feeling the wind pick-up sending ripples of goosebumps over her skin, she decided that she needed to stretch her legs. Not really wanting to wander that far from the camp, Anya decided to walk only to the tree line.

The breeze swept past her with strength causing a chill to creep down her spine, setting her senses on edge. Before she could react she was flung far into the forest.

Landing with a thud in a small clearing, she stood shakily and searched around her for her attacker. Without the keen sense of smell that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru possessed, she found it difficult to pinpoint the location of her enemy. Instead, she reached out with her spiritual powers to find her opponent and drawing her sai she prepared herself for attack.

Without warning blades of wind crashed down around her and sliced her left arm. Blood ran freely coating her blade with blood. Locating her opponent once again, she rushed forwards to attack, ignoring the lightheadedness she was feeling but knowing that she wouldn't be able to last for much longer.

"Dance of the Dragon!" shouted a female voice and Anya's body fell to the ground, unconscious.

Kagura smirked, "I have no idea why Naraku wants you, little priestess. Though, kudos to Sesshomaru for weakening your powers before I came to get you, or I might have failed." she lifted the object of her master's plan onto her feather and flew away into the night before anyone noticed that she'd vanished.

Sesshomaru awoke shortly before dawn. He sensed something unsettling in the breeze; it was as though the wind was trying to warn him of something. His eyes swept the camp coming to rest on Anya's empty bedroll. His senses came alive as he caught the scent of the wind witch Kagura and he jumped up immediately following Anya's scent.

Once he reached the end of her scent trail he scanned the area, finding nobody. The scent of fresh blood was everywhere, it was Anya's blood. The glint of metal caught his eye and he crouched down to pick it up. It was Anya's sai, covered in her blood. His eyes bled as his anger was roused. He was powerless to get her back and he didn't like it one bit.

A/N: Well I'm sorry it's shortish, but I couldn't think of a better place to break up the chapter… So as you can tell Sesshomaru is falling for Anya, against his better judgement. (.) Please Review! Thank-you! Bye!


	4. Scattered Thoughts

A/N- Hey! Sorry I've been a while updating, but with Exams and Summatives you're lucky that I've updated at all! So consider yourselves blessed that I think about you all enough to update during the most stressful time in a teenager's life!

Enjoy!

Scattered Thoughts 

To say that Sesshomaru was furious would be an understatement. He was demonic. She'd been taken from right under his nose! Anya had been weakened in the fight against him, that was why she'd been so easily captured. The wind that Kagura had left after them was completely devoid of her scent and so, Sesshomaru had no clue as to where she might have been taken. The thing that irked him the most wasn't the fact that Anya was gone, but the fact that he had placed himself in a position of weakness. He knew he'd developed feelings for her, feelings that he was now regretting.

Anya awoke, opening her eyes very slowly because of the weight that was compromising their movement. She looked around at her surroundings, though she was unable to make out anything but shadows because of the haze that was blurring her vision. She had the distinct feeling that she wasn't in control of her body. Sure enough, when she tried to move her right arm she found that her body wouldn't respond. Trying and failing, she tried to speak not really believing that she'd be able to, but wanting to try anyways. It was no surprise when she couldn't.

Her mind was still under her control and she could open and close her eyes willingly even though all she saw were shadows. 'Am I blind?' she asked herself. 'How long have I been here? Where is here anyways? Why can't I feel anything?' She blinked franticly in an attempt to clear the haze from her mind, but to no avail. 'Wasn't I with Sesshomaru last? What happened to me?'

With her thoughts turning to Sesshomaru, Anya was able to evade the feeling of panic and claustrophobia that was quickly arising in her gut.

Kagura stood watching the strange girl blinking her eyes frantically, obviously trying to get out of the hold that the dark Shikon no Tama had over her. Naraku had tried to control her with the same amount of the jewel that they'd controlled Kagome with, but that had just been purified when he's stuck it in this girl. He'd had to use twice the amount before it stuck; even now he was wary about her breaking the hold it had on her eventually. 'We'll just have to get her to kill Sesshomaru quickly then…' Kagura thought with a smirk. 'This will be fun.' with that she turned and wandered out to Naraku to deliver the news that she'd awoken.

"What is it Kagura?" came Naraku's cold voice as she approached his room at the castle.

Kagura opened the shoji screen wide and stepped through, closing it with a swish behind her. "The girl has awoken, the jewel shards embedded in her are clouding her mind." Kagura reported in the same tone as Naraku's.

"Good, everything is falling into place, just as I expected it would. Bring her to me." he ordered and returned to Kanna's mirror, which was watching Sesshomaru.

"Sure" she replied and retreated to do as Naraku asked, grudgingly. She hated being ordered around all the time! She was the wind! He was suffocating her in this place, and she needed to get out fast.

Kagura returned to see that the girl had stopped trying to clear her mind, for her eyes now looked normal other than the completely constricted pupils. The only evidence that her pupils were there, were tiny black dots in the center of her irises. She looked like she was staring straight into an intense light.

"Hey you, priestess. Stand." she said calmly.

Anya saw a shadow moving around the foot of her bed, but she couldn't make out if it was a drape or a person. When she heard the woman speak a command, she felt compelled to obey. She decided that she wanted to stand anyways, so she wouldn't struggle yet.

Kagura smiled, pleased that the jewel was powerful enough to take away her urge to struggle against her commands. "Good, now, Naraku has demanded your presence. Follow me." she ordered again.

Anya mentally frowned; she didn't want to follow Kagura. She wanted to go back to Sesshomaru and the rest of the gang and hunt down the jewel shards. Struggling with the desire to follow orders blindly and the thoughts that were swirling around in her head, Anya took only one step in the direction that Kagura wanted her to go in and then stopped.

Kagura saw that she'd stopped and cringed. 'Damn, I just told Naraku that there was no problem controlling her.' Kagura thought, desperately grasping at any idea that would get her out of this. "Follow me." she dictated sternly.

Anya couldn't resist the urge to follow her anymore, and succumbed to the voices in her head. Her vision still hadn't returned and it was very dizzying seeing nothing but shadows and walking around without being able to put her hands out to steady herself. If the jewel hadn't possessed her, she was sure that she'd be puking her guts out by now, but as it was, she only felt as though she _should_ be nauseous. This feeling continued until she finally stopped, having no clue whatsoever as to where she was in the building that she was in. She was sure she was in a fairly large building, because she didn't feel any wind and the shadows were too dark for her to be outside.

"Kneel" a masculine voice said, commanding Anya to comply.

Anya struggled again with the voices in her head, dropping only on one knee instead of the customary two, which she was sure is what he wanted of her. 'Ass-wipe, I wish you were dead!' she thought violently. This felt like what her mother used to make her do, only she was never possessed at the time and got a beating for being disobedient.

"Such violent thoughts for a priestess! It's a wonder you are able to use your spiritual powers at all, you certainly aren't pure of mind…" Naraku spoke quietly. The room was dead silent to begin with, so there was no need to speak loudly, he was confident that she wouldn't escape the grasp of the jewel so easily. "Kneel" he commanded again.

Anya found herself complying to his wishes almost instantly, with enthusiasm no less! She felt disgusted with herself for giving in so easily and cursed her grandfather for not teaching her how to protect herself from possession. As she was now in a situation that she could find no possible way out, the only way she saw to avoid complete possession, was to seal her mind away until she felt a weakening in the strength of the control over her actions. She began the meditative rituals in her mind, first imagining herself in a large box, separate from her soul. She then imagined her soul picking up the tiny box full of her consciousness and hiding it somewhere. Her soul wouldn't know where she'd hidden the box, because she was without thought. There she would remain until her freed soul called out for her.

Naraku felt that the girl had stopped struggling against the possession, he could no longer detect her thoughts. He frowned slightly, thinking of what this could mean. "She has locked her mind away from her soul. How could she have done that while I have possession of her soul?" he pondered out loud. "No matter, her mind isn't what I was after in the first place. Once she has served her purpose, she will die so it makes little difference whether I have possession of her mind or not." he said cruelly.

Kagura shifted her stance slightly. "What do you want me to do?" she asked blankly.

Naraku's glare shifted to Kagura. "Take her to Sesshomaru, and have her kill him. I want him out of my way right now. He's become far too knowledgeable of my plans. I never thought he would lower himself to working with his half-brother. I will not make that mistake again!" Naraku stated angrily. 'I let spread the rumor that I would be taking his lands from him, in order to keep him there to protect them, not go gallivanting around with Inuyasha trying to find me. How could I have underestimated him so?' thought Naraku bitterly cursing himself for being able to be predicted.

"Yes Master Naraku, consider him dead." Kagura answered blankly, she didn't want to kill Sesshomaru, she'd been hoping that he would be the one to kill Naraku and save her, but now that hope was becoming more of a vague dream than an actual possibility. She glanced at the girl, something was different about her stance, though since she was possessed Kagura figured that she'd only stopped struggling. "Come" she ordered, suspicious when she complied almost eagerly. They left the castle and Kagura swept them away on one of her feathers to find Sesshomaru and kill him.

"What do you mean missing?" Kagome nearly shouted. Her cousin was missing in the feudal era, and she couldn't sense her at all. "We have to find her!" she announced hysterical.

"I agree! If Naraku finds her… I don't think I need to remind everyone what happened to Kagome when Naraku was controlling her with the tainted sacred jewel…" Miroku agreed solemnly.

Everyone nodded solemnly, all except for Sesshomaru who didn't 'nod' his head, it was not something he would do. "No, but I believe Naraku has her." Sesshomaru added.

"Why are we just standing here! We should be out there looking for her right now!" Kagome shouted.

Inuyasha, who was being uncharacteristically quiet today, flattened his ears slightly at the shrill piercing tone of her voice. "Kagome, I think you need to calm down. We have to think about this rationally before we walk into a trap." Inuyasha said quietly.

Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha all gazed with eyes downcast at the ground before them, they were remembering the time that Kagome had been captured and turned against them.

_Kagome's mind was blank; all she could hear were the commands given to her by Naraku and on occasion, Kagura. She couldn't think, move of her own free will, or anything else. She didn't even know where she was, or what she was doing or saying. It was a month ago that Naraku had captured her, but Kagome was unaware of this having no concept of time. _

_At that moment she was fighting against Inuyasha and Miroku; Sango was unconscious on the ground, her nose bleeding and jaw broken. All this Kagome had done while under the possession of Naraku. She didn't remember a thing._

"Well then, Kagome, if Naraku has her already then we should just wait for her to come to us." Miroku said, using his knowledgeable tone.

"You don't understand about Anya's powers! None of you do! I've seen what she can do and you wouldn't want Naraku to harness her true potential!" Kagome pleaded with them. She didn't know how to get through to them! They needed to get Anya back before she partioned her mind!

"Explain it to us then." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, he had an idea of what she was talking about but he needed his suspicions to be confirmed.

Kagome sighed exasperated, and paused for a moment collecting her thoughts. " Well you see, when she was little, she would faint a lot, this was because she had so much power that she couldn't contain it and it just started to build up and then when she fainted it was all released… I'll just say lots of stuff was destroyed. So our Grandfather placed barriers in her mind to seal the majority of her power…" she said trailing off hoping that they would understand. She received only blank faces. "Don't you understand? When I was possessed, I partioned my mind to protect myself from complete control, so that one day I could be saved from the jewel's control. If Anya does that, it will bring down the barriers in her mind and when she attacks us…we'll all die." Kagome finished quietly.

"Can she harness this power on her own, without partioning her mind?" Sesshomaru asked thinking back to his fight against her.

"Not that I know of, but there is this special little trance she goes into to fight…but it doesn't bring down any barriers, so her true power isn't exposed. She doesn't know about the barriers, and we were never taught how to partion our minds, but when something's screaming at you to control you…you learn pretty quickly." Kagome said sadly.

"Damn." Sesshomaru cursed heatedly and dashed off to the place where Anya had been taken. He rushed off in the direction that he felt the strongest powers.

Kagome smiled and jumped onto Inuyasha's waiting back. "Come on we have to hurry!" she yelled insistantly. Inuyasha and the others took off after Sesshomaru soon after.

A/N- So? How was it? I'd love to hear from you all! So please review, it helps to motivate me… Summer's coming up soon, so I'll be updating more often so you won't be disappointed for very long. Also sorry about how short it is…but as they say Short and Sweet! lol not that this is a very sweet chapter. Bye for now!


	5. Claimed

A/N: Don't worry guys and gals, there is **no lemon** in this chapter. I did make it extra long for you though! Just to let you know, I'm upping the rating for this fic because of language and graphic violence in further chapters. sorry

* * *

**Claimed **

It was just after dawn on the third day of Anya's possession. She had no clue as to where she was, or what condition her body was in. For a long time she had felt a power in her that was new to her. She figured it must be the power of the Jewel, but was a while in convincing her that it was just the jewel. It felt familiar, like something out of a dream but she couldn't be sure of anything in the state that she found herself in. Anya had long ago sealed her conscious brain deep within herself, separating it from the rest of her body so that she couldn't be completely controlled. Though she heard this nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that something really bad was happening; she was too closed within herself to hear it's pleas. Alone she was very frightened.

* * *

Sesshomaru hadn't wanted to stop to make camp, so they traveled through the night aswell. Everyone was getting pretty tired; that is, all except Sesshomaru who was determined to find her as quickly as possible before something terrible happened. He knew the extent of her awakened powers, and that was a great deal of power for a human. He could only imagine what her dormant powers must yield to warrant the need to place barriers in her mind, and then keep it a secret from her. His thought returned to the present outside world as he heard his brother's whelp shouting at him.

"Sesshomaru! I sense jewel shards! Lots of them! I think it might be Anya! They're headed this way too!" shouted Kagome. She had suspected that maybe Naraku had needed to use more shards to possess Anya than he had to control her, but she hadn't thought that he'd need half the jewel…

"Which way" came his emotionless reply, the only indication that he'd heard her at all. He showed nothing in his expression that implied the slightest interest at all.

"South." she replied, and they changed direction to meet her.

Within ten minutes they had found her, but something was different about Anya. Kagome's fears were confirmed. "Inuyasha! What are we going to do?" Kagome yelled upon seeing Anya's lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead, but seeing nothing of what was there.

Kagura frowned at Kagome's exclamation, in the past she'd never heard her face a situation with such worry in her tone. Kagura glanced over at Anya suspiciously. "Do not fret Miko, it is not for you that I have come. If you don't interfere I promise that I won't kill you…today anyways." Kagura smirked as she opened her fan. "Anya, I command you to kill… Sesshomaru."

Anya took a step towards Sesshomaru; her full power that had lain dormant behind the barriers in her mind now crackled around her, visible and loud enough to hear. The static it caused was making the hairs on the back of Sesshomaru's neck stand on end. He didn't like it at all.

"Anya! Snap out of it Anya!" Kagome pleaded with her cousin standing before her. She knew what her powers could do, and wasn't too keen on seeing them again.

Anya didn't reply, only released more of her energy, getting ready to attack. Tears were falling from her sightless eyes.

"It's too late! We have to get out of here or we'll all die!" Kagome shouted and started running.

Kagura frowned, but just to be safe, she took to the air with one of her feathers.

Inuyasha and the others didn't need telling twice, only Sesshomaru and Anya remained behind on the ground, staring eachother down.

Inside Anya was struggling to subdue the new power that she felt coursing through her, but she had sealed herself off from her body and could do very little. The only way she could think was to take control of herself again, and maybe with all this power, she could purify the jewel within her, before she carried out Naraku's evil plan. She was certain that this was the cause of the power surge. She opened the little box, and felt the power expand tenfold. This purified the Jewel, but her power kept growing, and she couldn't control it!

Sesshomaru could barely stand in the presence of all her power; it was mind numbing how a human could possess so much. He suspected though, that it was her demon blood that she couldn't control, and like Inuyasha she had a different way of expelling the built up power. Inuyasha had the Tetsusaiga, but what did Anya have? A barrier that was now broken. He noticed that her eyes turned back to their normal consciousness, but the power kept growing.

She looked at him with tears streaming from her eyes, because of the pain that was surrounding her. Her body wasn't capable of dealing with all the power that was pumping through her blood; it was way too much for her.

Sesshomaru looked at her with panic stricken eyes, and thought quickly about what he should do to save her. "Anya, can you hear me?" he asked walking closer to her.

She nodded slightly to indicate that she could hear him.

He continued to walk closer until she was within reach. "The only way I can help you is to claim you, and then we will share the same blood. It is irreversible, and you will change to accommodate the demon blood coursing through you." he explained hurriedly.

"Do it!" Anya whispered as more tears slipped down her face. "I can't control my power, it's too much! I'm going to die anyways so you may as well give it a try." she whispered, barely audible to Sesshomaru's ears.

He couldn't take seeing her like this, and quickly reached out and pulled her close to him. Revealing her neck, he bit down claiming her as his mate. The power around Anya dissipated and she fell limp into Sesshomaru's arms. His teeth were still inserted in her neck as he was battling the power that was now flowing through him, though he was more equipped to deal with it, and soon enough he had it back in Anya, calmed.

She opened her eyes slowly, finally able to see clearly. She was no longer under the possession of the tainted sacred jewel. They were still inside her though, and she parted the top of her kimono.

"Sesshomaru, get them out please." she asked weakly pointing to the spot just above her right breast, where the jewel fragments were embedded under her skin.

He looked at the spot to which she was pointing, and slit the top layer of skin. He watched as she removed half of the Shikon from her chest and clung tightly to it. "Thank-you Sesshomaru. I'm going to pass out now, but don't let Naraku get the jewel…" she said weakly as she handed him the Shikon.

Sesshomaru nodded and closed it in his fist. He picked her up bridal style and licked around the cut on her chest that was bleeding, his saliva healing over the wound slightly, and made his way back to where he could smell Inuyasha and the others waiting.

Kagome, upon seeing Sesshomaru carrying Anya into the clearing, rushed over to his side as he placed her on the ground, tears of relief streaked down her face. "Anya! Oh God I thought you were dead for sure!" she cradled her cousin in her arms rocking her back and forth. She suddenly stopped when she noticed something on Anya's neck. "Oh my God! She's been bitten by a vampire!" Kagome screamed and immediately placed her hands over the wound and a purple glow appeared.

"NO! Don't do that! That's how I subdued her powers! If you heal that mark, her barrier will come down again." Sesshomaru quickly explained. He picked Anya back up in his arms and sat down with her in his lap.

Inuyasha came over to see what mark Kagome was talking about, and when he saw it his mouth hung wide, and his eyes looked like they'd seen a ghost. "Sesshomaru! What the hell are they going to say about that back home?" he asked warily, with a pale face.

"They will say nothing, because if they do I will simply kill them." Sesshomaru replied, his eyes shooting daggers at Inuyasha for even questioning his choice of mate.

Kagome looked from brother to brother, "What do you mean? What does that mark mean? Who are 'they'?" she asked confused.

"Sesshomaru's just gone and clai-" Inuyasha started, but didn't get farther than that for he found himself pinned to a tree, Sesshomaru's hand clasped around his throat constricting his breathing.

"You will not speak of this to anyone, until it is official. I did it to save her life, I didn't ask her permission." Sesshomaru breathed to Inuyasha. With that said he loosened his grip slightly so that Inuyasha could respond.

"That's dishonorable, it's sort of irreversible you idiot! What are you going to do just drop her off so some demon can come and claim her? Nobody's going to want her now that you've done that!" he whispered hoarsely back at Sesshomaru.

"Think what you like of me, stupid half-breed, it makes little difference. But do not presume to call me dishonorable. I didn't do it to save my life." with that said he released Inuyasha completely. "But know this little brother, I will kill you if she finds out before I have a chance to explain it to her." Sesshomaru added and walked back to where Anya was.

Inuyasha rubbed his throat where Sesshomaru had pinned him to the tree, contemplating his brother's words. 'Does that mean that he'd have done it anyways? He does care for her…' Inuyasha looked horrified for a moment in his brother's direction, before turning and dashing off into the woods.

Once he felt he was far enough away he jumped up into a tree and burst out laughing.

Sesshomaru scowled after his brother's retreating form, loathing him. His thoughts of hatred towards his brother were soon cut short by the sound of groaning coming from Anya's awakening form in his arms. He turned his head to look at her, concern showing ever so slightly in his golden eyes.

"Sessho-maru?" she whispered weakly, still very drained of energy.

"Shh, I'm here. Don't try to move you're still too weak. Just rest. I'll protect you." he whispered back. He was too worried about her now to care what kind of emotions he was revealing to everyone else. He held her tightly to his chest as she clung to his shirt.

Anya smiled slightly and settled back down in his arms.

Sesshomaru suddenly remembered the jewel fragment that he held in his hand, and chucked it in the direction of Kagome.

She caught it with surprise. "They used that much to control her?" she asked to nobody in particular, and put it in the bottle with the rest of the shards.

Miroku was slightly taken back by the actions of everyone in the camp, but especially by about how much of the jewel that Naraku had placed in her, which they now had. He glanced around for Kagura and the poisonous insects, which usually came to collect the jewel whenever his agents failed in their task, but didn't find any. "It seems suspicious that we weren't challenged for the jewel." he pondered out loud.

"Yes it does. " agreed Sango, crossing her arms and looking around her. "Do you sense anything at all Monk?" she asked surveying her surroundings.

"No, I don't and that's what I fear is wrong." he admitted.

"So what? You think we've walked into a trap?" Kagome asked quietly, not wanting to bother Sesshomaru and Anya. She walked over to join them around the fire.

Sesshomaru, leaning against a tree with Anya still in his arms, listened to what they were saying. 'Could it be that it wasn't the jewel that had possessed her?' he asked himself. 'In any case, it isn't safe for her to come into contact with Naraku at the moment. She will return to my lands first thing in the morning.' he thought to himself.

Kagome glanced worriedly in Anya's direction. "Guys, I think maybe the best thing would be for her to return home in the morning, because with Naraku's loss of half the jewel, he's going to want it back, and Anya's not up to fighting against him again in her state. Besides that, Grandpa will need to replace the barriers and I think that's something only he can do…" Kagome told them quietly.

"No, tomorrow we are returning to my lands. If, as I suspect, that Naraku still has some kind of hold over her, taking her somewhere where I can protect her is the best plan." Sesshomaru decided out loud.

Kagome sighed, he didn't know that she was from another time period, and she feared telling him for she wasn't sure what he would do if he found out. "But she will be safe where we are from Sesshomaru." Kagome told him.

He glared at her with eyes that told her that his word was law. "I have made my decision. Learn your place Miko." Sesshomaru replied coldly.

Kagome took a deep, annoyed breath. "Why don't we ask Anya what she wants to do in the morning?" she asked, trying to reach a compromise. She knew that Anya would choose to return home, and figured that this would keep Sesshomaru happy for now.

Sesshomaru just stared icily at her. "We are leaving in four hours, if she is awake by then, I will ask her. What you do is not my concern." he replied.

Kagome huffed angrily. So, he was taking Anya with him, whether they were coming or not. "Anya is my cousin! She needs to be with her family! You don't know anything about her powers Sesshomaru! My grandfather does and he should be the one to fix her!" Kagome's voice raised slightly, her annoyance clearly evident in her tone.

"Fix her? She is not broken wench. She was born with this power and has yet to learn how to control it. I understand more about her powers than you seem to think I do. Do not presume to tell me what to do." Sesshomaru's tone had turned deadly. "There will be no further discussion on this subject. Do I make myself clear?"

Kagome was just about to jump up and start yelling at Sesshomaru when she felt Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder. He'd returned from the woods carrying a few fish to cook around the fire. "Let it slide Kagome. You don't understand the circumstances fully. Kagura is still out there somewhere, and if we return to your home, Naraku will know how to get to you whenever you do return home." he whispered quietly to her.

Kagome's eyes went wide. "Oh my God I never thought of that!" she gasped, the magnitude of Inuyasha's words hitting her fully. She could just imagine what kind of chaos Naraku would cause if her ever found out how to get to the future.

Miroku let out a breath of relief that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Well, now that that is settled, why don't we all get some rest before we have to leave." he suggested uneasily, glancing around at the rest of the camp.

They all agreed and once they were finished eating the fish that Inuyasha had brought; one by one they fell asleep. Sesshomaru decided that he'd keep watch, he wasn't feeling tired at all and needed to make sure that they left at an early enough time to reach the safety of his lands by mid-morning the next day.

* * *

Anya awoke sometime in the early morning. The first thing that she noticed was that she was being held in someone's arms and that something was sticking into her shoulder. Starting intently at the person, she could make out that it was Sesshomaru by the little light that shone through the tops of the trees from the moon.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly, shifting slightly so that the spikes of his breastplate weren't sticking in her shoulder anymore.

"Yes?" he replied quietly, wary of the others sleeping and not wanting to disturb them.

"What happened to me? Why do I feel so different? I feel so weak and drained, and something else too…" she whispered.

"While you were being possessed by the jewel, you partioned your mind from your body and released the barriers containing your demon blood." he began, but paused to assess her reaction to this information.

"My demon blood? I don't see how it could cause me to loose control like that. It would be so diluted that it would have absolutely no power left in it! Wouldn't it?" she asked.

"Perhaps you had it from both sides, I don't know exactly, but I do know you have it because I could sense it." continued Sesshomaru. "The only way that I could think to control it was to claim you as my mate." he finished.

Anya stopped breathing momentarily. Had she heard right? Mate? Wife she'd heard of, but mate? Wasn't that the act of reproducing? Her mind was racing with thoughts, none of which she understood fully. "I don't understand you…what exactly happened?" she asked confused.

"In marking your neck we exchanged blood. My blood was better suited to subdue your demon blood, so that you could control your powers better. It also sealed away your demon blood until I can instruct you on how to control it yourself." he explained, glancing over at Inuyasha's twitching ears.

Anya's heart calmed slightly, "So I have some of your blood in me?"

"Yes, that is why we need to get you somewhere safe."

"What? Why? I don't understand? Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm taking you to my lands. Your body will change over the next few weeks, in order to better suit my demonic blood that is circling through you. For that time you will feel very weak and will not be able to defend yourself." explained Sesshomaru calmly, never loosing patience with her many questions.

"I'm changing?" she repeated, absorbing the information into her brain, fear filling her.

Sesshomaru nodded his head slowly, smelling the scent of fear that was rolling off her in waves. He pulled her tighter to him, "Do not fear the changes, I am here to protect you." he said quietly. Holding her chin he slowly turned her face towards his.

"How different will I become?" she asked emotionally. Tears forming in her eyes, she couldn't help but feel frightened.

"That depends on the strength of your demon blood. Mine would ever only change the length of time you live." he comforted her.

"Is my demon blood strong Sesshomaru?" her quiet, fear filled voice asked.

Sesshomaru remained silent for a long time, before wiping a tear from her eyes. "Yes, love, it is very strong." Bending down he captured her lips in a passionate embrace, stealing away her fear.

Anya could no longer focus on her fear of changing when he was kissing her. She felt like she could float away on a cloud of his love for her. Growing up, Anya hadn't known what love felt like, it wasn't something that she knew how to return either. When she was kissing Sesshomaru though, everything felt right, as though she was safe and protected in his embrace.

When they drew apart, she smiled up at him, a blush forming in her cheeks. "I love you too…Sesshomaru." she told him. "But…what did you mean when you said that you'd claimed me?"

"It means that I want you to stay with me forever." he replied, hesitant about her reaction.

Anya first felt uneasy, but that soon was replaced by happiness. "Really? Forever? Are you sure? I can be pretty annoying after a while you know, and you can't really be sure after only about a week or so of knowing me…" she began, but was silenced by Sesshomaru.

"Don't worry, I've made my decision, and I believe that I chose wisely." he added, making her smile. "Do you agree with me Anya" he asked, using her name.

When she heard her name, she smiled. He made her name sound so good when he said it like that. "Yes, I agree with you Sesshomaru. I believe also that I've chosen wisely."

"I agree." he replied and captured her lips with another breath-taking kiss.

* * *

Sesshomaru held the once again sleeping Anya in his arms, when he noticed the lighter hue of the horizon. Deciding that it was time to get going, he shook Anya awake again.

"It is time to be going Anya," he said to her.

She nodded, yawned, and rolled off of Sesshomaru so that he could get up at awaken the others.

Walking over to Inuyasha, Sesshomaru struck his foot, jerking him awake immediately with his hand automatically reaching for his sword. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded, his loud voice rousing the entire camp.  
"We are leaving now." he spoke with such a definite tone that they all cringed at the thought of opposing him.

Behind him, Anya giggled at their expressions, causing Kagome to rush over to her demanding if she was fine. "Yes, yes I'm alright!" she replied, trying to stop Kagome from crashing into her. "Gentle though! I'm still not 100 percent!"

"Do you want to go home? Grandpa will know what to do about your powers." she asked, forgetting about Inuyasha's warning from the previous night.

"No… Sesshomaru took care of that… didn't he tell you?" Anya asked Kagome with confusion in her eyes.

"He didn't explain how… but he might have said something like that…" Kagome admitted retrospectively.

"Well that isn't really important for you right now, however it's important that I go with Sesshomaru." Anya replied. She smiled up at him as he was observing her little conversation with Kagome.

"We still have to look for the Jewel! We don't have time to waste at your stupid castle Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha barked angrily at his brother.

"You do not have to come, little brother." Sesshomaru replied coldly.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "I can't just leave Anya alone!" Kagome shot at him angrily. She turned back to face Anya.

"Listen Kags, I know you're worried about me and everything, but you were doing just fine before I came along. Now I have beef with Naraku too, but I have to give my body time to heal. You're the only one who can sense the sacred jewel! This problem is bigger than just you and me, if we fail to stop Naraku; we're not the only ones who are going to die. You should go on without me, and when I get better we'll catch up, 'kay?" Anya smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Kagome's.

"Are you sure about this Anya?" she asked again.

"Yes I'll be fine! Stop worrying about me!" Anya exclaimed, smiling at her cousin. "Just focus on gathering all the jewel shards before Naraku does."

"Alright. I will, and you get better quickly!" Kagome added. They hugged tightly and parted tearfully. "Stop crying you dope! It's not like I'm never going to see you again!" Kagome laughed and wiped her eyes.

Anya smiled and did the same; "Yeah like you should talk, your face is redder than mine." she shot back with a sniff.

Sesshomaru decided that it was high time they should be going, and voiced his opinion quietly.

"Bye guys! See you soon!" Anya waved as she and Sesshomaru were swept away to the west by Sesshomaru's demonic cloud.

Kagome wiped a tear from her face as she watched them fly out of sight. "Come on Kagome, we may as well get some more sleep before we have to leave again." Inuyasha sighed.

"I just get this feeling that something happened between Sesshomaru and Anya… something big." Kagome said suspiciously.

"Wow Kagome, with all your matchmaking I would have suspected you to have seen it all along!" Miroku exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Inuyasha gave a bored yawn, "He's claimed her." he told them, figuring that by Anya reaction to leaving with Sesshomaru that he'd told her what he'd done.

"WHAT? How on earth did I miss that?" Kagome screeched excitedly.

Sango chuckled, "I thought you were completely against the idea of Sesshomaru and Anya being together." She sat down and waved Kirara over to sit in her lap.

Kagome sat down aswell and crossed her arms, "Well, I don't trust him that's for sure… but he does seem to love her…" she replied after some time of thought.

"Yeah, and it's freaking scary if you ask me." Inuyasha added to the conversation, as he slumped down with his back against a tree.

"I think it's cute." Sango admitted happily. "They would be good for eachother I think. Anya doesn't seem like the type to just sit back and be pushed around, but she's not overly stubborn as to cause a problem adapting to Sesshomaru's way of life." she added.

"I suppose so… It's just weird… Sesshomaru displaying affection openly." Kagome explained. "But if she loves him then I guess it's not really my decision to make now is it?" she smiled.

"No, you're right, it's Anya's choice to make. Though, I have to agree with Sango, Anya does seem the type to be able to fit into any situation with grace and dignity. She will do very well in the position of Lady of the Western Lands." Miroku chirped joyously. Reaching over to Sango with his cursed hand, he lovingly caressed her butt.

"HENTAI!" yelled Sango and slapped Miroku, leaving a red handprint on his face while she fumed at his perverted actions. "And you call yourself a monk? For shame!"

"You never learn Miroku!" Inuyasha grumbled in Miroku's direction.

Soon enough the gang drifted off to sleep again, Inuyasha remaining awake to keep watch until morning. He was still wary about the ease of their taking the jewel, and wondered briefly how Naraku was going to respond to such a loss.

* * *

A/N: Don't forget to review!

Love Abby


	6. Changes

A/N: Hey! Well here's my new chapter, it's basically about Anya and Sesshomaru. Enjoy!

Changes

Mid-morning, Anya found herself surrounded by sweet smelling flowers that still held the sprinkle of dew on their petals. She breathed deeply the scent of lilac and Sakura blossoms. As she looked around, she noticed a small stone bench placed in the shade on a Sakura tree that had the biggest flowers Anya had ever seen! Lilac bushes lined the white stone path that led off to the west, and what looked like a maze made completely of lilac bushes! She grinned and started off towards the maze to find out where it led. It was still very early so there were no insects around to bother her.

All through the maze the smell of lilacs was so overwhelming, Anya couldn't remember a time when she'd come across a type of lilac that had smelled so strong before! As she walked further she could smell other things too, none of which she'd ever smelled before…well that wasn't true, and she had, but never this strongly. Realizing that one of the scents was heading directly for her she paused mid-stride, her heart starting to flutter faster with adrenaline. It wasn't a bad smell, but good actually. It had a slight hint of musk and light soap, so she guessed it was a person.

She didn't know what to do, everything seemed so different to her, and she was scared. What had she become? Could she smell everything now? Then she remembered her talk with Sesshomaru before she'd passed out.

"_I'm taking you to my lands. Your body will change over the next few weeks, in order to better suit my demonic blood that it circling through you. For that time you will feel very weak and will not be able to defend yourself." explained Sesshomaru calmly, never loosing patience with her many questions. _

"_I'm changing?" she repeated, absorbing the information into her brain, fear filling her._

"Changing…" Anya repeated, remembering her fear. Suddenly she thought of Inuyasha's ears and felt around her head frantically for them, and was relieved to feel nothing but her hair. She let out a sigh of relief, but as she felt her ears fear crept it's way up her spine. They were pointy like Sesshomaru's ears!

After that discovery, she started checking herself all over to see if anything else had changed. The smell was getting closer, and she was getting more and more frantic, she couldn't seem to calm herself at all! Where was Sesshomaru? He'd promised her that he'd be with her! Tears pooled in her eyes, and streamed down her cheeks.

Anya knew she was hyperventilating, but she just couldn't seem to stop. She couldn't calm herself down at all. That smell kept getting nearer and nearer, she was frozen on the spot and couldn't move. The tears never ceasing to pour from her cloudy grey eyes.

The smell was almost upon her now, and she shut her eyes tightly, her legs wobbly underneath her. "Sesshomaru…" she whispered.

"Anya? What's wrong?" asked Sesshomaru curiously, glancing around the area for any possible threat. He didn't find one and approached Anya, taking her in his arms. "What are you so scared of?" he asked her quietly.

Anya opened her eyes slowly when she heard Sesshomaru's voice. The smell was Sesshomaru's scent! She stopped crying, and gazed up at Sesshomaru innocently. "It's you!" she whispered.

"Of course, who else would it be?" he replied, frowning. "Did something attack you?" he asked, sniffing around discretely, but smelling no other scents other than Anya and the lilacs.

"No…just- never mind." Anya said. What if it was something that shouldn't be happening, what if Sesshomaru stopped liking her if he found out she was changing.

"Tell me." he ordered. "You should not be scared to tell me what's wrong." he told her. He could smell her apprehension. "You're my mate, and there will be no secrets between us, do you understand?"

Anya nodded, and buried her face in his shirt. She noticed that he was no longer wearing his armor. "Where's your armor Sesshomaru? I've never seen you without it!" she asked, changing the subject.

"It's back at the castle, now tell me what has you scared." he insisted. She wasn't going to give him the slip so easily.

Anya sighed in resignation, she did really want to tell him what was wrong, but she didn't want him to turn around and reject her. "Everything smells so strong, and everything's so loud that I feel like I'm sitting on the lilacs and whenever a bird chirps it sounds like it's right next to me and that's what scared me. It kept going and I was looking around for it and I couldn't see it." Anya lied. She'd really been scared of being alone, but she didn't want to tell Sesshomaru that, he would think her weak. She'd thought that he'd abandoned her and maybe he would if he thought she was weak. It was her strength and determination that had drawn him to her, she was sure of it. If she turned around and started being dependent and needy, he would certainly be disgusted that he'd ever claimed her. Putting on her best mask, she smiled up at him lovingly.

Sesshomaru knew that there was something that she wasn't telling him. He only smelled a tiny bit of deception when she spoke, as though she were bending the truth. "Anya, I know there's something that you're not telling me." he growled.

Anya's eyes grew wide, she'd never heard him growl at her before! Narrowing her eyes she glared at him. "I thought that you'd left me." she mumbled, dropping her eyes from Sesshomaru's piercing gaze.

"No." he replied.

"What?" Anya asked confused, raising her eyes to meet his again. "I just told you why I had been scared! Don't you believe me?" she demanded, her voice raising slightly. The outcome she had feared was happening.

"I will never leave you" Sesshomaru replied calmly, sensing the fear that had begun to rise in her. So that was what she feared, being alone. "You are my mate, and I want you near me at all times, do you understand me?" he said, a little more harshly than he'd meant to say it.

Anya's eyes softened, she'd thought he was going to tell her to get away. Nodding her head in comprehension, her gaze dropped to her feet, being unable to compete with his piercing gaze. "Yes, I understand, Sesshomaru." she answered quietly.

Sesshomaru smiled, he'd truly chosen the perfect mate. She wasn't going to oppose him in front of spectators, nor was she going to stand by and let him walk all over her either. "Why are you so perfect?" he whispered and reached out and tilted her head up so that she looked at him.

"You're wrong, I'm not perfect." Anya replied, a rosy blush forming in her cheeks. Her eyes dropped from his, resting on his chin.

"Look at me Anya, I'm never wrong." he spoke gently and captured her lips with his own in a passionate embrace.

Anya's blush deepened as he kissed her. She could feel his love for her radiating off of him like heat from a fire, making her warm and fuzzy. Everything was right when he was holding her, touching her, near to her; she felt so wanted and needed, it was a nice feeling.

Whenever Sesshomaru was near Anya, he felt like he was getting intoxicated with her. She had so much goodness surrounding her that it was just absorbed into him constantly. So this was what it felt like to be in love.

They drew apart and Anya smiled up at Sesshomaru, her love shining out of her eyes like a brightly blazing fire. "You know what Sesshomaru?" she asked melodically.

"What love?" he questioned as he held her close to his chest and breathed in her intoxicating scent.

"I've fallen in love with you, completely head over heels in love." she admitted softly.

Sesshomaru's heart skipped a beat when he heard those words. How was it that he could walk onto a battlefield with all the odds against him and remain perfectly calm, but Anya could make or break him with only her words? "I have aswell Anya." he whispered back to her tenderly. Giving her a final squeeze, he released her "Come with me, I'm going to take you to the castle." Sesshomaru told her.

"Castle? Ooh!" Anya asked excitedly.

Sesshomaru chuckled and started off back through the maze of lilacs, which was the most secluded part of the gardens. They'd arrived very late in the morning earlier that day, and Sesshomaru hadn't wanted to wake her; she was still recovering afterall. On top of that, all the lilacs had masked her scent quite completely while she had been changing. The last thing he'd wanted was for one of the servants at the castle to come snooping around and discover a human changing into a demon and raise an alarm. Now though, he could introduce her to everyone properly, once she'd had time to rest and get dressed in something comfortable. He was certain though, that everyone would adore her, except perhaps Jaken, but then Jaken was strange like that.

When they exited the maze into the rest of the gardens, Anya stopped and gasped, dropping Sesshomaru's hand. Her eyes wide, she absorbed in the beauty of the gardens. "Wow! It's like something out of a dream! Sesshomaru, would you pinch me please?" she gaped at the gardens, or rather, heaven.

"No, I will not 'pinch' you. You're not dreaming, these are the gardens." he replied, confused at her asking him to pinch her.

Anya took no notice of what he'd said, and looked around intently, committing everything to memory. From the entrance to the maze, it opened like a valley with about five or six levels going up. Water was flowing down gently by small basins that poured into one another, keeping the ground dry, but they were everywhere so that you wouldn't have to walk very far to get water to water the plants. There were flowers of every kind imaginable, and even some that Anya had never seen before. A small stone path wound its way through the garden, and tiny stone steps led to each upper level, branching off at every section of the garden. They all met up together further down the main path, and let up to the garden entrance to the castle.

Anya was so enthralled in the garden that she hardly heard Sesshomaru calling to her.

"Anya, there's plenty of time later to visit the gardens. Other pressing matters attend us." he told her, a little sad to see her expression of wonder leave her face. It was soon replaced with a cheerful smile though.

"Oh, alright…if we must…what pressing matters?" Anya asked curiously, just now processing what he'd said. She'd found it so hard to tear herself away from the gardens, it's as though they were calling to her.

"Well, there's introducing you to…everyone." Sesshomaru began.

"How many people live here?" Anya asked as she again took his hand and the strolled down the stone path towards the castle.

"Plenty. I also told Rin and that fox demon child that you were here, and then Rin wouldn't stop pestering me about taking her to you, so I suppose you had better see her first. She'd get angry otherwise." Sesshomaru continued.

Anya chuckled, "Rin? But I only met her once, and she hardly even talked to me! I came, and then they left right away!" she laughed.

Sesshomaru glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "Well, she remembers you. She asked me, 'Is she the lady that killed that demon?'" he told her.

"Oh yeah, I was just showing off. Kagome hates it when I do that. She's such a worry-wart." Anya giggled.

The castle was just behind the next bush, but before they could get there, a small black-haired little girl ran right into Anya.  
"Ouf!" Anya puffed as she felt her breath forced out of her. "Hello there Rin. I haven't seen you in a long time!"

"Rin either! Rin has missed you so much! Rin never really got chance to play with you either! Come on! Let's go play!" Rin suggested excitedly, jumping up and down.

"How about I have a bath first, then we can play?" Anya asked, bending down so that she was level with Rin's face.

"Alright, Rin supposes that's fine." she agreed, scuffing her foot in the dirt. Turning swiftly, she waved bye and hurried away to find Shippo and the other children.

"Awe! She's so cute!" Anya squeaked once she was out of hearing range. "I want one!" she pouted.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Now?" he mused, and watched her face turn a deep shade of red.

"Well, maybe not right now…" Anya mumbled, placing her hands on her burning cheeks. She laughed nervously and glanced up at Sesshomaru who was gazing at her with eyes dancing with mischief.

Sesshomaru smirked and moved her hands from her face. "Whenever you're ready." he told her and kissed her gently. Pulling away, he held her hand and they made their way to the castle entrance.

When Anya walked inside after seeing the gardens she was amazed at how elegant everywhere looked. The room was a neutral color, a nice light blue, with darker blue trims around the top and bottom of the walls. The tile on the floor was a mesh of white, brown and everything inbetween. In the center of the room, the tile pictured a giant half-moon, to signify the Taisho family. It was the same color as the darker trimmings around the walls.

Everything was fairly simple, which only served to accentuate the staircase. It was wound around one of the five pillars in the room, placed off to the right, so that it didn't seem like the center of attention, but it's intricate railing was breathtaking. It seemed at first like a giant vine weaving it's way up the pillar, it was beautiful.

Anya was too excited to speak, all she wanted to do at this moment was to run up the stairs. She glanced at Sesshomaru, who seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Upstairs is where the rooms are located, I will take you there now." he smiled at her. "Just, try to exercise a bit of restraint."

Anya grinned, "Okay" she agreed, and followed Sesshomaru upstairs. Halfway up the stairs she realized that she wouldn't have been able to accomplish the whole staircase a month ago. It just went to prove that always running around in the feudal era took a lot of strength!

Sesshomaru glanced back at Anya, she was keeping up well, he was glad. The only thing that he wasn't looking forward to was having to explain to her how she was to act when the other nobility was present. He suddenly remembered that he hadn't told her that they were coming, he had been just about to when Rin had jumped into the picture. He sighed, and figured that he could talk to her about everything all at once, once they reached her room.

Anya was led down a warmer colored hallway, with many doors all identical. Sesshomaru explained that they were rooms for visiting guests. They reached a small staircase and at the top there were two directions to go.

"To the left is where the other lords and ladies of the other three lands stay when they are visiting, and this way is where we sleep, along with Rin, and Shippo for the time being." he added as an afterthought.

"Lords and ladies? You have special rooms just for them? What about Kings and Queens? Or the Emperor?" Anya asked.

"That's with humans. Humans generally don't associate themselves with demons…I suppose you could imagine why." Sesshomaru began.

"Oh, right, I forgot for a second. . . I must be tired." Anya blushed deeply. How could she have forgotten something like that? She wasn't human anymore, she was demon, well, mostly demon… Anya frowned. "Sesshomaru? So what am I now? Will the others be able to tell that I'm not all demon?" she asked a bit concerned.

"Hmm? Well, I'm not sure. I can tell, but that is partly because I'm an Inu youkai." Sesshomaru stated, he felt slightly sorry for Anya. If the others could tell that she wasn't a complete demon then they might make things difficult for her. Obviously they wouldn't do it whenever he was around, but he knew that they would, and with her past, Sesshomaru wasn't sure how her self-esteem was… "Don't worry though, I don't care what you are, because you're mine, and I'm not going to let anyone else have you." Sesshomaru told her possessively.

Anya blushed deeply again at his possessiveness. "Okay." Anya smiled, and laughed nervously. She reached out and took Sesshomaru's hand. "And I won't let anyone have you either." she slimed up at him.

Sesshomaru smirked. "This is your room Lady Anya," he said stressing her title to her. He liked it too, the way it rolled off his tongue, and also the fact that she was his, and only his.

"You don't have to call me that you know…" Anya began, but found herself utterly speechless once Sesshomaru had ushered her into her room. "…" she was afraid to say anything, incase what she said was unladylike.

Her room was made completely of oak, with gold and silver trimmings framing a light violet wall. The four-poster bed was large and had mosquito netting draping down enclosing her bed completely. There was a large walk-in closet on the left of her room, containing everything from traditional kimonos for every occasion to an array of many colored sleeping yukatas. "Are these all for me?" Anya asked Sesshomaru curiously.

"Yes. They were mostly passed down through the Ladies of the West, but with every new Lady there is obviously new outfits added." Sesshomaru informed. "But those are only the everyday kimonos and yukata, the traditional ones are in my room." Sesshomaru added.

Anya gaped at him. "Those are everyday ones? They're all so… expensive." she observed, reaching out to touch the silky material. In her time, something like this would cost more money than she could make in a lifetime.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Nonsense, they're not expensive… well, that's not true, they are expensive, but not for us." he added as an afterthought. He walked over to the other side of the large room towards the other door. "Now, this door will lead to my room, and the baths." he held it open for her.

Anya walked into what seemed like a small corridor, there was a step down and a small indent to a double door. They continued down the corridor and up a step to a door. "This is my room, that was our private bath." Sesshomaru explained indicating back to the double door.

"Ooh we have a private bath! How exciting! Plus this little hall is secret too…" Anya mused mischievously. She ran a hand down Sesshomaru's chest, but stopped when she heard a low growl.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, her hands felt so good on him. He growled his pleasure, but felt her stop suddenly. Rounding on her, he pressed her up against the wall of the corridor and attacked her lips with his own. He softened the kiss and left her lips, "Save that for later Anya, we don't have time now." he told her gruffly.

Anya was startled, she'd thought he was angry with her, but she found out that it wasn't anger he was feeling. She was beginning to wonder if it was even possible for him to be angry with her. Though, after a few seconds of thinking, she decided that she didn't want to find out how far she could push him.

"I have to explain something to you Anya." Sesshomaru started as he pushed open the door to his room. It was much the same as Anya's, though, there were many more doors leading to other rooms.

"What?" Anya asked him.

"The Lords and Ladies of the other lands are coming here for the annual Tournament." he started, observing her reaction.

"Oh cool! When do they get here?" Anya asked excitedly.

Sesshomaru frowned. "The day after tomorrow." he replied.

"What? Why are you frowning at me?" she asked.

"I thought you'd be furious with me. You just arrived, and already you're going to be put in the spotlight before you've even had a chance to settle in." Sesshomaru explained his frown dissipating.

"Oh, is that what's going to happen? I assume that I'll have to fight the other Ladies right? So that means that I've got tomorrow to prepare." Anya thought out loud.

"Yes, and while fighting, you can't purify anyone. You're not allowed to kill the lords or ladies, it would be an act of war." Sesshomaru warned.

Anya sighed, "I'm not stupid, I figured as much. Well, I know a bunch of fighting styles, so it shouldn't be too hard. I'll just have to practice a bit before the Tournament." Anya said.

"Yes, and there's also rules of etiquette that I don't know if you're familiar with. You have to be very careful with demon lords." Sesshomaru explained.

Anya sighed, "Oh well, what can you do?" she smiled. "So where do we start?"

Sesshomaru smirked, "Go take a bath, and I'll go get your hand maiden." he said.

"Hand maid? I don't need a maid." Anya scoffed at the idea. She regarded Sesshomaru with uninterested eyes.

"Anya, you have one." Sesshomaru argued. "If you didn't have one, it would speak volumes to the other Ladies, and they wouldn't respect you." he explained.

"Fine, but I don't want to be sucked up to, or treated all high and mighty. Only to keep up appearances, got it?" she surrendered.

"That is acceptable, just don't get too friendly with the servants, it would disrupt my order around here." Sesshomaru told her.

"Deal." Anya agreed, and came close to Sesshomaru. "Now, seeing as how I'm a smelly little girl, I'm going to have a bath." she said and turned back to the corridor.

Sesshomaru watched her leave. The slight sway of her hips drawing his eyes down along the length of her body, being torn away too soon when she disappeared through the door, which she shut behind her. His thoughts lingered on her, and what she'd look like in the tournament. Growling at the thought of the other lords getting to see her like that, he felt his possessiveness for her rise. He snapped himself out of his thoughts and walked out of his room to find Anya's maid. The woman he'd picked was more of a bodyguard than a maid was, but he didn't want Anya to know that, she'd just get angry and offended.

He made his way quickly to the dojo where he assumed that she was training, and wasn't disproved when he caught her scent after opening the doors. "Saeki" he demanded.

"Yes Sesshomaru-sensei." replied Saeki, a young Inu youkai female. She was one of Sesshomaru's personal guards, now extended to encompass Anya. She bowed respectfully, for it was the dojo, and Sesshomaru had personally trained her.

"I'm giving you the privilege of personally guarding my mate. You understand what will happen if anything were to happen to her don't you?" he asked her, knowing her reply.

"Seriously? What's she like? Ooh I'm so excited! Is she really pretty? Well of course she's pretty, I mean it's you! Yes don't worry Sesshomaru-sensei, I'll protect her with my life! But seriously, what's she like? Is she strong? What's her na-"

"Saeki, that's enough. You'll meet her and then you can ask her yourself. Now, I'm forbidding you from telling her that you're her bodyguard, it would only anger her." Sesshomaru ordered, slightly annoyed from her endless questions.

"Oh, but why? Every Lady had a bodyguard. Why would it make her angry? It's not Karin is it? Oh god please say it's not Karin!" Saeki exclaimed.

"That's Karin-sama to you, and no, it's not Karin." Sesshomaru sighed; her never ceasing questions were starting to annoy him further.

"That's a relief, so, when can I meet her?" she asked, flipping her silvery hair behind her back.

"We'll go now, she's in the bath, and her name's Anya." Sesshomaru informed her as he walked away.

Saeki smiled widely and sprinted off after Sesshomaru.

Anya sighed as she lowered herself into the bath, which was really a hot spring, though she figured that it was artificially made. There was probably a furnace or something that was heating the water flowing down from the mini waterfall. It was perfect. She grabbed her shampoo and conditioner that she'd brought back with her, there was enough to last her at least a month. She scrubbed vigorously at her head, washing out all the grease that had built-up over the past however many days that she'd been under Naraku's influence. She didn't know what she'd been doing, or where she'd been, but she sure stank of blood and ashes. After her hair was piled atop her head in a giant suds bubble, she washed the rest of her body until she was satisfied that she'd removed the disgusting scent completely. She dove under the water to rinse out her soapy hair. When she resurfaced, she noticed another demon standing in the room staring at her curiously. "Ahh! What do you think you're doing? Don't sneak up on my like that okay?" Anya squeaked and lowered herself back into the water so that the soapsuds hid her body.

"Oh sorry Milady." replied the demon. She continued to stare at Anya though.

Anya observed the new arrival. She had waist-length silver hair, similar to Sesshomaru's, and was wearing what looked like a sort of gi. The way she'd addressed her seemed to ring uncomfortably in the air. "Please, just call me Anya." she smiled uneasily. "So… yeah, nice to meet you."

"Oh, please forgive me Anya-chan, but you're just so pretty! I thought for sure that Sesshomaru-sama would mate someone pretty, but I never thought that you'd be so pretty! I'm Saeki, nice to meet you too!" Saeki stated after a second.

Anya relaxed slightly. "Pft, if you think I'm pretty, then you should meet my cousin Kagome. She's the beauty of the family." Anya smiled. It was surprising how easily she could talk to Saeki, usually it took her a long time to get used to someone.

"I bet you're just saying that, you know, I've met all of the other ladies, and just between you and me, none of them are as pretty as you! I bet that they're all going to be jealous of you! So, if I were you, I'd stick close to Sesshomaru-sama." Saeki sat down cross-legged with her head in her hands and her elbows on the ground in front of her.

"I can defend myself, and I don't think I'd be prettier than the other ladies…" Anya blushed. She lathered the conditioner in her hair and soaked for a while.

"Well, whatever, you'll see and I'll tell you that I told you so." Saeki shrugged. "Are you almost done? I wanna go get you all trained!" Saeki groaned impatiently.

Anya chuckled and dove underwater, washing out her hair. She got out and grabbed a towel to dry herself and walked back to her room, Saeki tailing her closely.

"So, do you know how to fight? Who taught you? Can you use weapons? Which ones?" Saeki asked excitedly, plopping down on Anya's bed while she picked out her outfit.

"Yes I can fight, my grandfather taught me since I was three. He trained me to use the katana, tonfa, sai, and a bunch of swords and daggers, and I can use the bow and arrow, but I prefer close combat weapons." Anya replied, settling on an outfit very similar to her previous one.

"Ooh! Wow, that's exciting!" Saeki replied, clapping her hands childishly.

Anya laughed and retrieved her sai from the drawer beside her bed and her daggers from underneath her pillow. She'd placed them there before she'd undressed and gone to the bath. She bent down and dragged the rest of her weapons from under her bed, and set them all out so that Saeki could take a look at them. "That's all of them that I brought with me, the rest of them are at home… well I guess this is home now isn't it?" Anya realized suddenly, placing a finger to her mouth in thought.

"Wow Anya-chan! What do you need daggers under your pillow for? You're safe here." Saeki asked worriedly.

"Oh, well I suppose its force of habit. Sesshomaru and I had been searching for Naraku and the jewel shards. I couldn't really sleep properly without a dagger within reach. You know when you feel like you're being watched? Well the first night I was in the feud- uhh, in the group searching for Naraku, I woke-up feeling like that. It's creepy, and I couldn't really sleep properly without it after that. So that's why I do now. What about you Saeki? Do you fight?" Anya asked.

"Do I ever! Come on Anya-chan, I wanna start your training now!" Saeki jumped up.

Anya smiled and shoved her weapons into their holsters that she'd put on before dressing. "'Kay, just don't go easy on me! Promise?" Anya asked.

"Promise." Saeki smiled back and led the way down to the dojo.

A/N: Well I hoped you liked it! Plus, tell me what you think about Saeki! lol Well I'll update soon! The next chapter is already in the works, and it'll most likely be up by monday or tuesday. Good-bye for now! (please review!)  
Luve Abby


	7. New Customs

New Customs 

Sesshomaru listened from behind the closed door of the corridor, connecting his and Anya's rooms. He hadn't expected that she'd be so open to Saeki, not that there was anything wrong with that, in fact he was glad they were getting along so well. His only concern having been that Anya would tire of Saeki's endless stream of questions. He was just slightly annoyed at how Saeki was referring to Anya as 'Anya-chan'. She was the Lady, therefore it should be Anya-sama, but if Anya didn't mind, then he shouldn't either. Now if Anya started referring to Saeki as 'Saeki-sensei', that would piss him off. He turned and decided that he'd head down to the dojo himself to prepare for the tournament. On top of that, he wanted a chance to see Anya's new strength, now that she was demon.

Anya's heart pumped as the adrenaline rush took her. It was exhilarating! She was so much stronger now than she was before! Her heightened hearing alerted her to the whooshing sound made by Saeki's katana before it could hit her and she dodged it easily, striking low to the ground and colliding with Saeki's shins, causing her to loose balance and topple over onto her back. Anya wasted no time pinning her down and laying the training sword across Saeki's throat. Had it been a real sword, Saeki would be dead now. "Looks like I won Saeki-chan." Anya breathed.

"Yeah, and I wasn't even holding back! Your grandpa must have been something special to have taught you so well!" Saeki complimented.

"Humph. Not really." Anya huffed as she released Saeki. Anya was tired, she'd had to use all her energy to defeat Saeki, and Saeki wasn't an easy demon to defeat.

"Well since you can beat me with no problem, then you shouldn't have to worry about the other ladies of the South north and east, they can't defeat me." Saeki smirked as she got up and started stretching. "Care for another go? I bet I'll beat you this time." Saeki challenged.

"Pft, yeah right, I'd like to see you try!" Anya shot back playfully. "This time, no weapons and I'll knock you flat in, ooh, three minutes."

"That's insulting! You may be strong but nobody other than Sesshomaru-sensei's that strong!" Saeki grinned.

"Watch me." Anya announced darkly and threw her katana aside.

As soon as Saeki was ready, Anya pounced. She was fast, faster than she had been before, and caught Saeki by surprise. Anya aimed a punch for Saeki's shoulder, and grinned when Saeki caught her fist in her hand. Anya wasted no time sweeping her leg through Saeki's stance, sending her off balance, and falling to the ground.

Saeki lay there stunned for a moment, but as she saw Anya coming for the final blow, she stuck out her feet and kicked Anya in the stomach, sending her flying over her.

Anya recovered by falling into a somersault and flipped back to face Saeki. "Not bad! You know I think I felt something then, next time though, and try moving to the side and striking behind the neck. That one works all the time." Anya smirked and crouched into her stance again.

"Thanks, I'll remember that for next time." Saeki countered and rushed for Anya, faltering when she moved to the side and she lost sight of her. Saeki was about to turn to the right to strike Anya, when she felt something collide with the back of her neck, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

"Humph, not even two minutes." Anya muttered and bent down to roll Saeki onto her back and checked her pulse. It was normal, and she should revive in a couple of seconds.

"Impressive." came Sesshomaru's voice from the door, where he'd watched Anya's last takedown.

"Why thank-you." Anya replied smiling, but breathing hard. She sat down on the floor exhausted, "I'm pooped now." she admitted.

Saeki sat up uneasily. "Whoa, what time is it? Why does my head hurt so much? Oh yeah…" Saeki mumbled and rubbed her eyes. "How long?" she asked, spotting Anya.

Anya groaned and lay down on the ground, "Oh, less than two minutes. You were tired though, I mean I'd just beat you twice in a row, there was no way you would beat me then." Anya breathed, catching her breath.

"I'll get you next time." Saeki threatened playfully. "But why don't we call it quits for today, I think Sesshomaru-sensei wants something." Saeki observed, staring over at him.

"Yes, Anya, you won't have trouble at the tournament. That's evident from the way you keep defeating Saeki. I just have to teach you about our customs, Saeki you can help because you know them also." Sesshomaru said as he stood over Anya. He reached out a hand to help her up.

Anya grabbed his hand and gave a small yelp as she fell into his chest because of his strength. "Whoa there, I thought you said we didn't have time right now." Anya whispered mischievously, grinning up at him.

Sesshomaru found that his arm had instinctively gone around her waist, and that his other hand was holding the base of her neck. "Yes, unfortunately. Come on, we don't have much time, and you have a lot to learn." Sesshomaru sighed and took her hand in his and led her back towards the castle. Saeki following closely behind them with a smile on her face.

Sesshomaru stopped in the main entrance. There weren't any visitors right now, so there was plenty of space to practice. "Alright, when talking to males, speak only when spoken to."

"Why? That's a rule for little children! It hardly seems fair!" Anya argued.

"Well, that's just the way with demons Anya-chan! If you were to go up to the Lord of the South and start talking to him, without Sesshomaru-sensei or anyone else, he would see you as being forward and then you'll be nothing more than a whore to him. This is a very important rule, and also, that's why you shouldn't go off on your own, because the same message will be sent." Saeki explained, a bit confused because she had known these things from birth, every demon did… That in itself asked the question; where was Anya from?

"Oh, yeah… I suppose…" Anya agreed.

Sesshomaru sighed at the uncomfortable tension that was slowly rolling in like a fog. "This is going to take a while." he muttered, surveying Anya with a brow raised.

Anya laughed nervously, "Sorry?" she said as her eyes flicked from Saeki's confused eyes to Sesshomaru's thoughtful ones.

"Alright, so supposing that I'm not your mate," Sesshomaru paused, searching for the words to describe the situation, " and I walk up to you and ask your name. You look around discreetly, for you don't want to seem rude, for your mate but can't locate him. What is your next move?" Sesshomaru asked.

Anya thought for a minute before replying. _They just told me that I'm not to talk to a male without my mate around, but he also started the conversation… so…it would be rude to walk away, umm…_ Anya smiled modestly at Sesshomaru. "My name is Lady Anya. You haven't seen Lord Sesshomaru around here lately have you? I've been looking for him." Anya replied confidently.

Saeki smirked and made a big "Errrrk! Wrong answer! You know what he'd do then? He'd go like this…" Saeki donned a very malicious look in her eyes and pounced on Anya, making her topple over, ending up in a heap of giggles on the floor.

"Okay okay! So what do I do? Jump up and down screaming for Sesshomaru? That's not lady-like at all!" Anya giggled.

"Ice." Saeki replied.

"Ice? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Anya demanded, her face becoming flushed from trying to understand demon customs.

"You glare at him coldly and say 'I have not been formally introduced to you, so unless you want my mate to hear about this then I suggest you ask me that again in his presence.' and then you walk away." Saeki replied brightly.

"Well, you don't have to use such a harsh tone, but that is basically the way to handle that situation." Sesshomaru agreed.

"That's no fair! You never told me what to do! You started me on a really hard question!" Anya pouted.

"So, now you know and we'll act it out for real." Saeki said joyously.

"What is your name." Sesshomaru demanded.

Anya glared at him for a split second, as though measuring her chances at winning in a fight against him. "Death, and I suggest you leave unless you wish to die." She replied coldly, but couldn't keep up the stern look and collapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Not bad actually." Saeki approved. "I mean, before the laughing. I really felt the chill of death in your glare. That's it! You're hired!"

"You're not serious! I was poking fun at him! That's ruder than rude!" Anya exclaimed.

"Do that, what you just did. Though, not to me, and don't laugh after saying it." Sesshomaru commented.

Saeki clutched at her heart, a look of utter shock on her face. "Did Sesshomaru-sensei just do what I think he did?"

Anya frowned at her with a confused expression on her face. "What do you mean? I don't notice anything different about him…"

Saeki blinked, "He just complimented you! That means you did an excellent job!" Saeki congratulated. "Okay! So now that you've got that taken care of, we should move to females. I assume that you speak to enough demonesses anyways so that shouldn't be too much of a problem for you." Saeki continued back to her usual self again.

"Yeah, watch your words carefully because they could come back to bite you in the butt." Anya replied bitterly, to which she received grave nods of agreement from both Sesshomaru and Saeki.

"Exactly." Saeki agreed. "I won't go into details, but sometime in my youth, when I was only seventy five years old, the handmaiden of the Lady of the South completely ruined my self-esteem. I had naively told her that I'd fallen in love with her lord's son, and she never made me forget it. I only hope that she dies very soon." Saeki sighed.

"What about you Sesshomaru? What demoness has scorned you?" Anya asked after giggling about Saeki's woes.

Sesshomaru sighed. He really didn't want to get into that right now, but he supposed that he didn't have much of a choice. Opening his mouth to talk, he noticed that Saeki was bursting to say something. "What." he demanded of her.

"Can I tell the story? Please?" she begged.

"If you must." Sesshomaru replied, truth be told he was actually glad that he didn't have to tell the story.

"Okay, so… It was twenty something years ago, and it was the coronation celebration for the Lady of the East. Sesshomaru-sensei, ever the popular guest was talking with the Lord and Lady afterwards, and she asked him where his mate was, and he replied that he didn't have one… BIG mistake. Forever afterwards she's tried to push her daughter Karin on Sesshomaru-sensei!" Saeki giggled. She was glad that Anya had come along when she had, because now that would mean that Karin wouldn't be bothering Sesshomaru anymore, and they could move on with their lives.

Anya smiled slightly, "Is she pretty?" she asked.

Sesshomaru snorted. "Definitely not." he said.

"Well…yes she's pretty, but it's a fake pretty." Saeki smiled. "You're a _real_ beauty, she has to wear lots of color."

Anya snorted. "Yeah right, you should see me in the morning! You'd change your mind for sure." she laughed. She was secretly glad that Sesshomaru had said she wasn't pretty, she didn't know why though. Perhaps it was because she felt threatened by this Karin figure. Well in any case, she would be able to formulate her own opinion of her when the tournament took place.

Saeki smiled, and glanced at Sesshomaru, he seemed distracted by his thoughts as he gazed at Anya. She surmised that Sesshomaru liked the way she looked in the morning, and had to suppress a giggle. "Well aren't we all hideous in the morning?"

"Hmm, I suppose. Though Sesshomaru looks the exact same in the morning as he did the night before." Anya smiled at him.

"Mm." Sesshomaru agreed, he was eager to continue Anya's etiquette lessons. Saeki was making it hard for them to make much progress on a cause of her constant babbling. "The next thing you should know is where to look, and not look."

"Okay…" Anya frowned.

"You want to avoid looking directly in the eyes of the Lords, though not I. everyone else you can look in the eye." Sesshomaru instructed her.

Anya nodded to show that she understood. She kind-of figured that it was because of the whole 'not wanting to look too foreword' thing.

"Yes, that's important because it's a sign of submission to someone of a higher status than you to look at them in the eye. Be warned, they will pounce on you." Saeki warned.

Anya giggled nervously, "Yeah, I get it." her eyes met with Sesshomaru's for a split-second before they flicked to the sound of footsteps entering the hall.

"Milord! You're finally back!" cried Jaken as he scurried across the hall. He stopped abruptly as he noticed Anya. "What's that filthy human wench doing here!" Jaken demanded pointing at Anya accusingly.

Anya's aura flared with anger at the insult she'd just been the recipient of. "Why you little toad!" she seethed and clenched her fists angrily. "Say that again! I dare you." she bit out darkly.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru scolded. "Learn your place, or get out." his tone drenched with loathing.

"Yes Milord!" Jaken piped and fell to Sesshomaru's feet. "Forgive my insolence." he begged.

Sesshomaru kicked Jaken up. "I am not the one from whom you should be begging forgiveness."

Anya observed Jaken darkly as he scurried over to her feet. "Forgive my insolence!" he begged her. With his face on her feet he was able to smell that she wasn't a human, and realized his big mistake. He began shaking in fear at her reaction.

"Apology accepted." she replied uncomfortably. She was a little disappointed though, she'd wanted to grab his little throat and strangle him.

Saeki frowned. Anya was definitely more merciful than any demoness that she'd ever met was, had she been called a 'filthy human wench' Jaken would not still be living. That was the worst insult a demon could ever be called.

Sesshomaru inwardly kicked himself. How could he have forgotten that Jaken knew that Anya had been a human, a miko none the less! He calmed his thoughts though, he could care less if others found out that she'd been human, he was just worried that they would respect her less than she deserved.

"Keep your snide little comments to yourself, next time I won't be so forgiving." Anya said. Though, the way she said it sounded more like she was saying it only to change the expression on Saeki's face.

"Jaken. Leave." Sesshomaru ordered harshly.

Jaken jumped up, bowed low and scurried out of the room.

Anya looked slightly relieved that he was gone. "What was that for? I never did anything to him!" Anya frowned.

"Why would he call you a human?" Saeki asked.

Anya glanced worriedly at Sesshomaru. "Well…" she laughed nervously. "I was sorta…well it's hard to explain…" Anya started, looking desperately at Sesshomaru for help.

"When I met Anya, she was human, with dormant demon blood. Naraku kidnapped her and attempted to control her with the Shikon Jewel, causing the barriers that held her demon blood to break, releasing it. Her lack of experience at controlling her demon blood would have killed her, had I not marked her when I had. I had hoped that I could have claimed you later, when you would have had more time to get used to your new body. Instead you have to be thrust into this life all at once." Sesshomaru said apologetically to Anya.

Anya smiled. "You don't need to apologize love," she said while walking over to Sesshomaru and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him lovingly on the lips. "I can handle anything." she smiled as she pulled back from him, gazing into his eyes lovingly.

Saeki smiled watching them. She was happy for them, but truthfully, she felt a little lonely. Though, that was the price she'd paid when she'd accepted the position of guardian. Her position as guardian had always been to the mate of Lord Sesshomaru. The other guardians were much older than she was, and they were certainly stronger. They would protect both Sesshomaru and his mate, but Saeki was for the Lady only.

"We're finished with the important rules." Sesshomaru told them, once he'd released Anya from his arms.

"So what now?" asked Anya. "Do I get to meet everyone?" her eyes twinkled excitedly. She'd already met a few demons in the dojo with Saeki, but they had only bowed and scurried away.

"I suppose I should introduce you to the Guardians." Sesshomaru told her as he began to walk around the palace.

"Guardians? Why do you need Guardians?" she asked, staying where she was, looking at Sesshomaru's retreating form.

"Why do you think? Silly! They _guard_ him." Saeki replied as she linked arms with Anya and pulled her along after Sesshomaru.

"But he's so strong that it seems wasted to have Guardians." Anya replied. "I don't want a guardian. I'm strong enough to look after myself." Anya said haughtily.

Saeki raised an eyebrow at her, now understanding why Sesshomaru didn't want her to tell Anya that she was a Guardian. "Yeah well you can't do everything on your own, and yeah you probably don't need one, but since Lord Sesshomaru is Lord of the eastern lands, he can't afford to take the risk of dying. We need him. Now, we need you. So I think you should reconsider your opinion about not taking a Guardian." Saeki advised.

"Why would I need a Guardian? I have Sesshomaru." Anya smiled sweetly at Sesshomaru.

Saeki grinned. "I guess." she said, and left it at that. '_Wait till she meets the Guardians_.' thought Saeki, smirking.

Sesshomaru lead them further into the palace, though this time it was on the ground level. The hallway was a royal green color, it looked almost like velvet but when Anya reached out to touch it, she felt that it was only paint. She gazed at the texture of the wall; it must have taken a long time to paint the whole corridor like this. Realizing that she'd stopped, Anya continued following Sesshomaru and Saeki. Sesshomaru reached a large double door and pushed them open and walked in, Saeki followed directly after him with Anya not long after.

The room was rather large and looked like it was used for some sort of a conference room. There was a large oval table in the center of the room, with roughly twenty chairs around it. Papers were spread haphazardly about the table, as though they had been riffled through in a hurry and had not yet been tidied. Four of the seats were occupied with demon males. They appeared harmless to the eye, but Anya knew better. These four were deadly.

They looked up as Sesshomaru entered the room. He nodded to them and Saeki entered after him. "Hey guys!" Saeki exclaimed joyously.

Another demoness followed after Saeki, she was striking, leaving each of the Guardians with the need to keep her safe from harm. Sesshomaru's mate.

Anya observed the four demons with curiosity. They were all different types of demons it seemed. "Hello, I'm Anya." she said in a friendly voice. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to introduce herself, but she had sensed an awkward silence forming, and didn't want to seem insecure.

"We are pleased to meet you Lady Anya. My name is Raishun." spoke the panther demon. He was average height, at about 6'1. He had long silky black hair that was bound at the nape of his neck at the back with a dark blue ribbon for about 3-4 centimeters; the rest was braided down to his lower back. He had piercing blue eyes that reminded Anya of the clear sky just before a thunderstorm. Raishun was wearing a dark gi similar to Sesshomaru's only it was black and navy blue, and his armor was black aswell, without the spikes. He had a thick black tail that was wrapped loosely around his waist as a belt. He bowed low to Anya respectfully, to which she returned the gesture with a smaller bow of the head.

"I'm Takeru," said the falcon demon. He was much shorter than Raishun, and was about an inch taller than Anya, 5'7. His hair was short and had a range of colors from white to dark brown and grey. His eyes were a deep golden-brown, which made Anya think of honey. The same sort of kimono as Sesshomaru, but in the colors of his clan presumably, because they were all wearing different colors.

"Kaito." grinned the dragon demon. "Sesshou, where'd you find her? She's hot!" he asked Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru growled low, glaring at Kaito dangerously.

Anya giggled nervously while glancing over to Sesshomaru. "He didn't really find me…" she mumbled uncertainly.

Kaito grinned slyly at Anya. He could tell her type immediately, cutesy, bold, and versatile. He was good at assessing people, and was rarely wrong. He had green eyes, like a forest full of pine trees with all sorts of shades swirling around. Kaito's hair fell around his face in all sorts of lengths. It was as wild as a forest fire, and a mesh of red, orange and yellow. His kimono was black and grey, which only served to cause his hair and eyes to stand out that much more. He stood a full head and shoulders above Anya, challenging Sesshomaru in height, though was only an inch shorter than him, 6'3.

The snake demon smiled smoothly. "I am Akio. I promise that I will keep you and yours out of any and all danger." he said while bowing. He had light grey hair that would have fallen to his shoulders, had it not been tied up in a tight bun atop his head. He was the oldest of all the Guardians, and the only one with a beard, neatly trimmed so that it was no more than a centimeter from his skin. He was wearing a deep blue kimono, and grey armor. He was 5'9, in height, which was about average for his kind of demon.

Anya smiled cheerfully. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you all!" she said, glad that the introductions were over, and she could relax, and not worry about first impressions.

Sesshomaru pushed away from the wall against which he'd been leaning with his arms crossed during the introductions and walked over to stand behind Anya. He was feeling slightly protective of her at the moment; usually he would only feel this way if Rin were in danger.

Anya leaned back into Sesshomaru's chest when he wrapped his arms around her stomach. "So…what's this room for? Other than conferences…" Anya asked, looking around.

"Well, this magnificent room also doubles as a rather decorative prison cell, for us slaves of security." Kaito smirked.

"Why?" she asked curiously, wanting to get a good look at some of the papers that were scattered around.

"The tournament is taking place here this year, and we need to make sure that security measures are in place, just in case we have a little accident." replied Akio sagely.

"Oh, you mean if one or two of the fighters let it get out of hand?" Anya guessed. She should have figured that from the get-go.

"Yeah, you catch on pretty quick Anya-chan!" Saeki congratulated. Raishun, Takeru and Akio stared at her with stunned expressions, to which she simply raised an eyebrow.

"So, Anya-chan, where are you from?" Kaito asked, following Saeki's exemplary pet name.

"Ummm, well… I don't think I can tell you." she replied sheepishly, tilting her head back to look at Sesshomaru for permission.

"Mm, I don't see why not. Anya is from the same village as where that stupid Inuyasha got sealed to a tree." he told casually.

Anya smiled, "Yeah, it sure was a surprise when Kags woke him up." Anya added as matter-of factly.

Akio frowned. "Inuyasha is awake? Since when?" he asked. The other Guardians were just as surprised as he was, but they didn't show it as much.

"Just under a year. He's waged war with Naraku over the Shikon Jewel." Sesshomaru informed them in a bored tone.

"Oh, again with that stupid jewel? He wants to be a full demon that badly?" Raishun asked disappointedly.

"Awe, but he's so cute as a half demon, with his cute little ears and all." Saeki sighed.

Kaito snorted, "He's a half demon."

"He is also my successor, until I have heirs of my own." Sesshomaru reminded them darkly. "He's not the same as he was fifty years ago," he added.

"Yeah, and with that Tetsusaiga he's not half bad at fighting either." Anya added, but immediately regretted her words when nobody agreed with her. "What?" she asked.

"Inuyasha was left with Tetsusaiga? Well doesn't that just suck." Kaito commented glancing down at the Tenseiga.

"He inherited the Tetsusaiga because it suppresses my father's blood from taking hold of his soul and sending him on a killing spree." Sesshomaru said, even more uninterested. "I have no use for the Tetsusaiga when I have the Toukijin."

"You really need to come home more often, cause I have no clue what you're rambling on about Sesshou." Kaito threw up his hands in a mock crazy gesture.

"Perhaps you should come with me next time, if you're so interested. You could be in charge of Rin." Sesshomaru mused.

"No thank-you. That brat had this whole place turned upside down in a week flat! Though, she was only trying to prank Jaken… I don't know why you let him hang around here anyways. You have a nasty habit of picking up little brats whenever you go out for long journeys." Kaito replied sarcastically. "Though, I have to say, your mate doesn't look in one way bratty."

"No, she doesn't." he growled possessively.

"Well, actually, my mom's always calling me a brat…" Anya smiled. She could tell that Kaito was trying to flirt with her just to piss Sesshomaru off, but she wouldn't have it. "Sesshomaru, I'm kind of tired. Is it okay if I go have a nap for a while?" she asked, sweetly, turning around in his arms to face him. Her eyes sparkled with something in their depths, that only Sesshomaru could see.

"Mm, I'll walk you to your chambers." he offered.

"Okay. Well it was nice meeting you all! Good luck with your stuff…" she eyed the mound of papers scattered about the table skeptically. "Saeki, you'll probably have to help them…" she sighed.

"Have a lovely rest Lady Anya." Raishun said as she turned to leave.

"Thank-you! Bye guys!" she called.

"Bye!"

A/N: Well, tell me what you think! This chapter is basically to get Anya used to palace life, and to explain that Sesshomaru hasn't been home since basically the first time he appears in the Inuyasha comics. lol Tell me who your fave Guardian is! Mine's Kaito… lol Well bye!

Love Abby


	8. Preparations

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the long wait, I know, it's summer what could possibly be keeping the next chapter? Well, I got terribly caught up with my Sims 2 game… heh heh. Hey, but my character got promoted to Mob Boss! Lol she was in the crime business… well, anyways, to make up for lost time, I sat a whole day and wrote and wrote and wrote to make up for it all. Oh, plus last week I went up to the cottage, there's no communication to the outside world up there either. It was super fun though, I took tons of pictures… lol Well, now enjoy the chapter!

**Preparations**

Anya yawned as soon as she was outside the room. "So, those are the Guardians?" she asked rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Sesshomaru nodded, "Yes, what is your opinion of them?" he asked.

"Mm, they're alright for the most part. Kaito reminds me of someone I know back home." she said, glancing at Sesshomaru for his reaction.

"Oh?" he inquired raising an eyebrow. "Was this 'someone' anybody important to you?" he asked, not quite liking the possessive feeling that was crawling under his skin.

Anya smiled, "He was, but not anymore." she offered, but decided not to offer any more, unless Sesshomaru asked.

"Who was this man that was important to you?" he pushed, wanting to know exactly why he was feeling so possessive, he had an idea though.

"Well… he was my first boyfriend, but he was a total player and cheated on me; so I dumped him." Anya replied bluntly.

"Hmm, then he didn't deserve you." Sesshomaru replied, calming a bit. "He didn't leave you hurting did he?"

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I was hurt! Am I still hurt? No, I'd basically forgotten about him until now, when Kaito reminded me of him." Anya replied. "Definitely a bad-boy. He's probably really scrappy in a fight, right?" Anya inquired.

"In an organized fight, he does bend quite a few of the rules, if that's what you mean; but he's definitely the one Guardian that I always want at my back in troublesome situations." Sesshomaru replied thoughtfully.

"So… Saeki, she's not only a hand-maiden is she." Anya sighed.

"How could you tell?" Sesshomaru asked, caught slightly off-guard.

"She calls me 'Anya-chan' and you don't call her on it, so she's not a simple maid. She's a Guardian right?" she smirked mischievously at Sesshomaru, having figured out his little game.

"Yes, she is." he admitted reluctantly. "You may not need a Guardian, but you have one, that is final." Sesshomaru added sternly.

"Whatever, I guess all the other ladies have them too right?" she asked.

" Yes." Sesshomaru replied. He smiled slightly, having won their little dispute. "You don't even notice them after a while." he added.

"I suppose." admitted Anya. "Hey Sesshomaru, after the whole tournament thing… are we going to go back and help the others find the rest of the Shikon Jewel, and Naraku?" she asked. Truthfully, she didn't really want to leave the palace, but she knew that they would need all the help they could get to defeat Naraku.

"It may take longer than just the tournament for us to be able to help. I've not been home for almost a year now, and there are a lot of affairs that I need to arrange before we can escape again. If the circumstance becomes troublesome, then yes we could. If not, then it may take a while." Sesshomaru answered.

Anya nodded her comprehension. "Okay." she said. They had made their way to the door to Anya's room by now and were opening the large double doors. Anya's things were still strewn across her bed from before when she had been choosing her training outfit. Sighing, Anya made her way to tidying the clothes away, but was stopped by Sesshomaru who wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back to him. He dipped his lips to the mating mark on her neck and kissed hit lightly, sending shivers up and down Anya's spine.

Smiling against her skin, Sesshomaru kicked the door closed and spun her around to face him. "You're blushing." he whispered while running his fingers through her hair.

Anya smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am." she breathed as Sesshomaru bent to kiss her. Her face heated further as she entangled her fingers in his hair and felt Sesshomaru's hand stray to her behind. He lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and moved over to the bed, laying her down beneath him.

Breaking the kiss momentarily, he whispered, "We have time now." and began to remove her clothes.

They descended in a flurry of kisses and sensations that left them both feeling breathless. Anya knew then what it was like to be truly loved, and as she moaned her love for Sesshomaru, they became one, body, mind and soul.

Anya awoke the next morning to a cheerful chirping floating in through her open window. Sunlight streamed inside, lying across her bed and the two bodies under her covers. Smiling in reminiscence of the previous night, Anya snuggled closer to the warmth radiating from her slumbering mate and dozed again. A light summer breeze blew about her room, causing the drapes to rustle lightly, as well as Anya's already tangled hair.

A light tickle upon his cheek awoke Sesshomaru from his sleep. He brought his hand up to push away the nuisance, only to feel Anya's hair. Smiling, he forced an eye open to the blinding light of the morning sun that fell upon his lovely mate, making her appear angelic with her tousled hair and her innocent cling to warmth. Joy bubbled momentarily in Sesshomaru's eye, visible for a slight moment, before it was drawn again under the controlled, emotionless façade that made up the features of his face. Sighing inwardly, Sesshomaru knew that he had to get up now to attend to the last minute details of the tournament, but he really wanted to remain entwined with his beautiful mate for the rest of the day.

He was just about to give into his desires when a slight tap was heard on Anya's door. He could tell that it was one of the Guardians because of the power he could sense radiating from beyond the door. Trust them to know exactly where he was at all times. Slowly detaching himself from Anya's vice-like grip, he tried not to wake her as he moved about the room dressing himself. Once he deemed himself properly covered, he slipped out of the room to come face to face with Raishun, dressed in his Tournament getup.

"What is it you want?" Sesshomaru demanded in a hushed tone, so as not to wake Anya.

"I'm sorry to bother you so early Sensei, but Naraku's Saimyosho have been spotted travelling in a Northern direction." he replied quietly. Bowing he waited for instructions.

Sesshomaru pondered this information for a moment before coming to a decision. "Send a messenger to my brother Inuyasha with this information, then have the messenger return." he concluded. "Have him bring the little fox demon back aswell." he added as an afterthought.

"Yes Sensei." Raishun replied.

"Now is that everything?" Sesshomaru asked, pausing before turning to go back into the room.

Raishun gave an assertive nod before turning to attend to his orders.

Sesshomaru watched him go for a moment before turning into Anya's room again. He was met with the beautiful image of his goddess sleepily rubbing her eyes and yawning to reveal pointed fangs. "Good morning my little Anya-chan." he greeted her.

Anya swept the last sleep-hazed cloud from her mind and brought her eyes to settle on Sesshomaru. She sighed up at him and moved to get out of bed when she fell back down into the feathery comfort of her bed.

Sesshomaru frowned and rushed over to her side. "Are you alright?" he questioned worriedly stroking her tousled hair out of her face.

"Yeah, it's just too comfy to get up." came Anya's reply. Groaning, she turned over and got up on sleepy legs. Gazing about her room, she sighed and walked over her mess to her closet, throwing the doors wide she sighed. "Sesshou, what should I wear?" she asked.

Sesshomaru's eyes shifted from her naked form to her closet as he came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. His eyes wandered about the various kimonos, until they came to rest on the only one that seemed remotely worthy to be seen on such a beautiful creature as his mate. "This one." He pulled out a green kimono that featured a spray of sakura blossoms along the base of the robe and sleeves. The figure of a large dog demon in his true form was shown across the back of the robe, it was as though the dog demon were standing on a path of sakura blossoms. The kimono was absolutely gorgeous.

"Wow! I can't wear this! It's way too nice!" Anya protested after a moment of getting lost in the swirling greens of the robe.

"Nonsense, it's hardly worthy of you. We'll have to find something nicer for the tournament though; this is fine for just everyday wear. I'll have nothing but the finest for my mate!" Sesshomaru muttered as he left her room to let her dress.

"Bye?" Anya questioned after him, but he was either too far down the hallway to hear her, or he just chose not to respond. Anya sighed, the kimono was way too nice for everyday wear, but Sesshomaru seemed to think she was some goddess or something. She suddenly felt very much like a doll. She smiled at the robe and began the lengthy process of getting dressed. Before dressing, she brushed out her hair and let it fall about her shoulders.

She was able to put on the under-robes herself, but after that she was completely lost. Carrying the rest of the outfit with her, she wandered over to Sesshomaru's room. "Sesshou, I can't get this thing on!" she announced while walking half-dressed into her mate's chambers. She stopped dead when she saw Kaito and Takeru with their backs to her in conversation with Sesshomaru.

They continued their conversation with Sesshomaru about the security measures that were being taken during the Tournament, and then quickly left the room.

Sesshomaru turned to his Lady once they were gone. "So, you can't get this thing on?" he asked, smirking.

"No! I need help." Anya smiled sweetly. "Will you help me?" she asked.

"Of course I will." he answered and knowingly went about dressing her. He first closed each of her under-robes separately, the last one he tied a string around her waist holding them all closed. After that was taken care of, he dressed her in the actual kimono and then went about tying the obi.

Anya smiled when he was done, and twirled around for him. "How do I look?" she asked, running off to the mirror to look at herself. "Wow, I've never worn anything so pretty before! I feel so plain!" she muttered, smoothing over the fabric. It even felt expensive. "Are you sure this is alright?"

"You look wonderful! Yes it's perfectly fine for you to wear it. It wouldn't be in your room if it weren't all right to wear. The formal ones are all in here." Sesshomaru motioned towards a darkened room adjacent to his. "You'll have to wear one of these for the Tournament, well, not for fighting obviously."

Anya curiously poked her head around the door and gazed upon the kimonos in there. "Holy shit! There's no way in hell I'm going to wear one! They belong in a museum! How could you even consider dressing me up in one of those? What are you on?" Anya's horrified eyes glanced around at the four kimonos. They were each representing one of the elements, earth, water, fire, and air. There was a fifth one also with all of the elements combined, chaos seemed to fit. "Look! Dust! Get them away! I think I'm going to cry!" Anya fretted.

"If that is your philosophy about beautiful things, then should I not hide you away from the world? Come now Anya, clothes are made to be worn. I had these made for my mate, it would be an insult if you refuse to wear them." Sesshomaru smirked.

"Alright, I'll wear…" Anya went up to each in turn and finally settled on 'Earth' "this one." she said, pointing. "Oh, but will I be eating while wearing it?"

"You will wear them all at least once. The Tournament is five days long, and the last day is a ball." Sesshomaru said.

The Tournament was a four day fighting event, where the first day was for the family of the Lords and Ladies, the second was for the Guardians of each of the lands, the third was between the Ladies and finally the fourth was between the Lords. The fifth day was a celebration, there was a final dinner and a ball.

"So, I have to act all lady-like for five days! Well, that shouldn't be too hard…" Anya mumbled. "If those dresses get even a little speck of dirt on them, I will loose all composure and tears will pour. I hope you know that!" She warned.

"Do what you have to, but I suggest that you get used to wearing fine clothing quickly." Sesshomaru offered. "Now, are you hungry?" he asked as he put out his arm for her to take.

"Why, yes I am." Anya replied, taking the offered arm and letting Sesshomaru lead her out of the room towards the dining hall.

They walked into the dining hall just as the meal was being served. Rin's face lit up as she spotted Anya; she jumped up from the table and ran over to greet her. "Anya-chan! You look like a Queen!" she exclaimed loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Anya laughed and blushed. "If I'm a queen then you must be a princess Rin." she giggled and took Rin's hand.

"Oh no! Rin isn't a princess! That would be terrible!" she shook her head gravely with a serious expression on her face.

Anya giggled again. "Well, why don't we have some breakfast then." she suggested, deciding not to go further with that conversation.

"Oh yes! Rin is starving!" she exclaimed using the same third person grammar that Anya was determined to break her of. Rin released Anya's hand and ran back to her spot next to Shippo.

Anya sat between Sesshomaru and Saeki, and looked around at the very high ceiling. It was all blues and gold on the walls, and the carpet was a deep red. The chairs were a reddish wood with the cushion seats red like the carpet.

"Anya-chan, how is it that you can look so pretty without even putting color on?" Saeki sighed.

Anya smiled, but chose not to answer that question. "Saeki? What is all this food? I've never seen half of it before in my life!" she whispered.

"Just stick to what you know, for now." she advised.

Anya smiled and served herself a small bowl of rice, she wasn't big on eating lots in the morning.

The general conversation at the table was between Sesshomaru and his Guardians. Anya decided to just keep quiet unless asked her opinion of some minor detail about this or that. She'd finished eating long ago, and the children had long since left the table.

Anya was quickly getting bored, and was roasting under the many layers of her kimono. It was supposed to be a summer kimono too! She needed an escape, but Saeki wasn't offering anything, in fact everyone still at the table were still eating! Anya couldn't believe it! How much did these people eat? Why weren't they all fat? Was she going crazy? Perhaps they didn't have lunch here… If that was the case then, should she eat more? Anya mentally shook her head, she was far too full to eat any more than she had already.

"-nya? What do you think?" asked Sesshomaru, jerking her out of her daze.

"Oh, umm… what?" she asked politely.

Sesshomaru frowned at her. "Are you feeling alright? You've hardly eaten anything!" he questioned, concern for her in his eyes.

Anya, deciding that this was as good an exit as she was going to get, smiled weakly. "Actually, I think I need some fresh air." she said in a voice pretending to be unwell pretending to be well. "Saeki? Perhaps you had better come with me out to the gardens." she added as an afterthought, noticing the pleading 'Take me with you' look.

"Of course Anya-chan, you do look a bit pale." she added, making a fuss over her lady. They both quickly exited the room.

As soon as they'd left Kaito gave a low whistle. "Damn Sesshomaru, I so envy you!" he sighed wistfully.

"Shut-up Kaito, do you have a death wish?" Raishun muttered as he elbowed him in the ribs.

Kaito grunted in pain momentarily, and elbowed him back. "You wanna start something?" he muttered back.

"Would you two shut-up, and save it for the tournament? You're getting on my nerves." Sesshomaru growled.

"Calm down Sensei, she was just faking to get out of here." Kaito laughed. "She was probably wondering why we were all stuffing our faces and freaking out that she was doing something wrong."

"Humph. You can't be sure." Sesshomaru muttered.

"She isn't from here is she." Raishun decided. "Otherwise she would know that she didn't need an excuse to leave the table."

"Who are you to question my choice of mate?" Sesshomaru demanded as his anger began to rise.

"I like her!" Kaito exclaimed spontaneously. Noticing the deadly glare from Sesshomaru he quickly added, "As Lady of the West, cause you know that Lady of the East…all she's got going for her are looks, I mean she's a real… I suppose I'll just stop talking now…"

"Good idea Kaito." Takeru advised.

"Sesshomaru, I'm not questioning your choice of mate, I just simply want to know where she's from. I sense miko powers surrounding her aswell, so tell us, who is she?" Raishun insisted.

Sesshomaru sighed, he knew that they wouldn't care that she had been human, but could he tell them that she was from the future? "She was a miko, but she had demon blood in her. Naraku possessed her briefly using a large portion of the Shikon Jewel, and the barriers keeping her demonic blood were broken. I then gave her my mark to save her." Sesshomaru told them.

"Wow, he has a heart!" Kaito exclaimed sarcastically. "But where's she from really? Cause she sure acts different from all other humans."

"I don't think you can handle that information. It's best that you survive with what I have given you." Sesshomaru decided that he wouldn't reveal the minor detail of her futureness. He was met with blank expressions. Sesshomaru just hoped that Anya didn't have any minor slip-ups.

"You're no fun at all!" Kaito complained. In the back of his mind he made it his mission to find out where Anya was from.

The slight breeze cooled Anya down immensely. The gardens were absolutely beautiful in the morning light, all the fragrances of the flowers swirled together so that it was almost overwhelming her sense of smell and made her want to nap, curled up in a field of wildflowers.

Saeki came up beside her. "You don't need an excuse to leave the table Anya-chan, even you should know that! Are you actually feeling ill?"

"Yes, this dress is roasting me alive! Why on earth did he want me to wear it? Then he goes and shows me even more that I have to wear to the Tournament and they look absolutely oven-like! I can believe him! I'm not a doll! On top of all that it hurts me to think that they might get dirty! I want to cry." Anya exclaimed plopping down on one of the many benches scattered about the gardens.

"You're so funny Anya-chan! Have you never been spoiled before? Oh you poor child!" Saeki cried. "I suggest that you get used to it, because I know that Sesshomaru-sensei really loves you, and he likes to spoil those he loves. Take Rin for example, he lets her get away with everything! He gave her his old room before he became Lord, and all those little kimono that she never wears because she doesn't want to get them dirty. Just don't ask his opinion of what you should wear, because I'm sure he thinks that nothing is good enough for you." Saeki laughed.

"I suppose he is a bit…doting." Anya agreed with a small smile. "Everything is just happening so fast! I feel like I'm going to mess up or something like that… Just promise me that you'll keep a very close eye on me, k'ay?"

"Don't worry, I promise to save you from humiliation!" Saeki laughed.

"Thanks." Anya smiled gratefully. She did really like all this fancy clothing and having servants waiting on her all the time, but truth be told, even after only a day or so she was beginning to tire from being pampered. Not being one to let others do what she could just as easily do for herself, Anya felt very out of place, especially when she learned that all the other Ladies were treated just the same, and that she would have to keep up appearances. She would be glad when this week was over, and she could return to being herself. "So, how about you and I go and see if we can't put a little flair in the decorations around here? Otherwise I'm sure the guests will get very bored… just don't tell Sesshomaru I said that." she chuckled.

Saeki smiled widely, "You read my mind!" she grinned. The giggling pair linked arms and wandered off to find the decorating team or whatever to input their ideas into the décor.

­­­­­­­­­­­

Kagome woke-up to the smell of fish roasting over an open fire. "Ahhh, that smells so good!" she commented while stretching and getting up.

Shippo came bounding joyously to Kagome. "Kagome! I'm back! Did you miss me?" he asked as he threw his arms around Kagome's neck.

"Shippo!" exclaimed Kagome surprised. "When did you get back?" she asked, glancing around for Anya and Sesshomaru, disappointed when she didn't see them.

"Well Sesshomaru-sama sent a messenger to tell you guys that Naraku's poisonous insects were spotted flying over his castle north. He can't go chasing after them right now because of something or other and thought Inuyasha could use the information." Shippo explained hurriedly.

Kagome nodded and quickly ran over to where the others were talking with the messenger.

"So I guess we could travel back with you to the castle, and travel north from there." Inuyasha was saying as Kagome joined them. "If that's alright with you guys." he said, more as a courtesy knowing that there would be no objections.

They all nodded, and it was decided.

Sesshomaru quietly observed his mate from his desk with a slight smile on his face. She was certainly getting acquainted with all of the servants. It was nice to see that she was well liked by everyone, though he was a little concerned that she was being too friendly with them all.

Shaking his head slightly, he returned to his work. There were many affairs that needed his approval. He wondered for a moment if Anya could perhaps provide any insight into any of the issues.

Glancing back over to his mate, he was pleased to see that the 'decorating committee' as she had so named them, had finished their planning, and were now scattering about commencing the actual decorating. "Anya, come here please." he called over to her.

Anya had been just about to go off and help them all decorate, but when she heard Sesshomaru calling her she dropped everything and looked over at him. "Coming!" she waved at him and gracefully stood up from the table. She had deigned the dining room the perfect place for her little meeting, and had practically taken the room over with decorations of all sorts. The Guardians had been slightly surprised by her boldness, but Sesshomaru had let her take over the room, so their little meeting had been adjourned.

"Yes my love?" asked Anya as she flounced over to his desk, off in the corner of the room. She felt thoroughly useful once again, and showed this by the accomplished smile on her face.

"I was just thinking that since you're from… where you're from, that perhaps you could advise me in a few matters." he asked in a low tone, trying not to be overheard by anyone important.

"Oh, right… I'll try, I mean I was only halfway through my last year of school so I don't know how much help I'll be…" she replied, quietly.

"Well here, sit and we can have a look." Sesshomaru pushed back his chair and Anya came and sat across his lap.

Picking up one of the documents, she quickly read what was written there, "Hmmm, forestry? Don't cut down more than you have to… and replant two for every one you cut down. That way there's a fifty percent chance that one will grow." she advised.

"There are plenty of trees though, and we need the wood now." Sesshomaru argued.

"There may be lots now, but what about in fifty years? A hundred years from now, how many trees will there be if none ever get replanted? We breathe oxygen, and that comes from plants. I'm not saying don't have them cut down or anything, but just have planted in their place." she went on.

"I'll take your advice, even though I don't know what this 'oxygen' is." Sesshomaru sounded out the word slowly, frowning.

Anya chuckled, "It's the air that we breathe in, and the air that we breathe out is called carbon dioxide, and that is what plants use to make their food, through a process called photosynthesis. Umm, that's a really long story to tell, so I won't go into it now… but if you like, the next time I go back home I can bring back a textbook for you to read or something." Anya offered.

"Yes, that would be useful." he agreed.

They went through quite a few more documents, well into the afternoon, making quite a bit of progress. Anya was really starting to feel useful, and was delighted when they were interrupted for her assistance with a decorating problem.

When she returned to Sesshomaru, she found him seriously debating the long-term effects of a certain document. "What is it?" she asked as she came around and sat across his lap.

"Well, it's about fishing. There are a lot of fish being wasted, because of over-fishing. Now, we could either open trading with the Southern lands, or stop fishing so much. On one hand we could be making more money, but what if we run out of fish?" he debated out loud.

"Personally, I think you should open trading. If they have less fish than here, then they could use them. The fish will always be there, as long as you don't go overboard… Well, I don't know really, back where I'm from, fishing in the springtime isn't permitted because that's when they all have babies, but in summer and autumn it is alright, because then they're all grown up. Personally I don't really care for fish…" Anya added, smiling. She thought it was so cute how Sesshomaru was starting to think about the future, it was just natural to live in the moment, but now that she was in a position to make great changes to the future. She was willing to try anything to make it better than it was.

"Alright, I'll do that." he decided, and reached over for a paper and quill. He wrote up a proposal for the Southern Lord about summer trading of fish, and sealed it with his official seal.

Anya observed the pile of documents that still needed to be looked over, "Is there always so much to do?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I've been gone for over a year now, it piles up in a time of war." he sighed.

"War? Where?" she asked, startled. "Oh right, Naraku…" she figured almost as soon as the words had left her lips.

"Yes, Naraku. I should really appoint someone to step in for me when I'm gone… but there's nobody here that I trust other than you to do my job, and I'm not leaving you here alone." he muttered.

"Yeah, Saeki is very aloof, Kaito is not mature enough. Though what about Raishun? He seems quite sensible." Anya suggested.

"Hmmm, perhaps. Though I'll think about it later." Sesshomaru said as his eyes wandered about the room. The decorations had almost all been finished, and it was almost dinnertime.

"Wow! We've been at this for a long time!" Anya commented, receiving only a grunt of agreement from Sesshomaru. "I'm going to bed really early tonight, because if I have dark circles under my eyes tomorrow morning, I will scream!" she warned.

Sesshomaru stifled a chuckle. He had to keep up appearances with his guests for the next five days also, that meant the same emotionless expression as he'd always worn. "Me aswell."

Anya's jaw dropped, "I thought you didn't car about what I looked like!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"I don't. I was agreeing with you about going to sleep early." he said with a questioning frown.

"Oh, well in that case, where's dinner?" she asked, looking around at the servants who were hurriedly gathering up the mess of the leftover decorations. Jumping down from Sesshomaru's lap she went over and gathered up the design schematics from the table and all the other papers and piled them all together onto Sesshomaru's desk. "There, now the table's tidy."

Sesshomaru smiled, "Stop taking other's jobs. Look, now they have nothing to do." he commented and put them all back on the table.

"Fine." Anya huffed and sat down in her seat at the table.

The light tinkling of a bell was heard echoing throughout the courtyard signaling that dinner was about to be served, and sure enough, not long after platters of food were brought out and set about the table. A steady stream of about fifteen others entered the room, all whom Anya missed at breakfast.

Leaning over to Sesshomaru, she whispered, "Who are all these people? I've never seen them before!"

"Relatives, they come a day early for the Tournament. This is where I introduce you." he told her and stood up once everyone else was seated and paying attention to him. "Uncles, Aunts, and cousins!" he started, "It has been a long time since we've all sat together for a meal."

A chorus of agreements sang through the hall. Sesshomaru waited patiently for the chatter to quiet down before continuing. "We have a new addition to the pack, I would like to introduce my lovely mate Anya." here he took Anya's hand and helped her stand up so that she could greet everyone.

"It's wonderful to meet everyone." she said with a kind smile, glancing around the table at the many faces, receiving expressions ranging from loving to loathing. This confused her greatly, though she let none of it show in her expression. If there was one thing she'd learned in all her years of training, it was that showing your emotions was a show of weakness, and she was sure that weakness in a leader was a very bad thing.

"Let's eat." Sesshomaru said at last. He had not liked many of the expressions that had been directed at Anya.

Once they had sat back down, Anya leaned in close to Sesshomaru again, "I suppose that now is where appearances must be kept? You know you could have warned me…" she breathed, so quietly that nobody could have overheard her.

"Yes well, we both lost track of time, didn't we my dear?" he replied, louder than Anya did. There was no need to speak quietly in front of family. For him at least. "And yes to your earlier question, that is a very important component."

Anya nodded slightly, and let her eyes wander about the table, picking out the friendly faces and smiling at them. She wasn't going to waste her time even getting to know people who already loathe her. The first face she came across was that of a mature looking dog demoness, she gave off the air of someone who would tolerate nothing but respect between family members. There was a kindness about the laugh lines around her eyes though, that gave Anya the feeling that she was a really nice individual. Anya smiled respectfully at her, and received a brilliant smile in return.

Once dinner was finished, and everyone was just sitting around the table chatting, the lady that had first caught Anya's eye came around and sat down in the chair beside her.

"Well you certainly are a pretty one aren't you? I can tell that you have more than just your looks going for you though darling. Call me Aunt Shoko." said the lady kindly. There was a fierceness about the air surrounding her that gave Anya the idea that she'd been a powerful fighter in her youth.

"How nice of you to say! I'm sure it's just the kimono though, Aunt Shoko." smiled Anya. It felt great to be welcomed so warmly by someone other than Sesshomaru. "Did you have to travel far to get here?" she asked.

"Not terribly far darling, in fact I quite enjoyed the journey. It gave me a chance to stretch out these old bones once more." she chuckled.

"I wouldn't say old! You don't look a day over eighty!" Anya laughed, but realized her mistake even before the room began to quiet. She thought quickly and turned her expression sheepish, as though she'd meant to make a joke.

Aunt Shoko began to laugh joyously, "Oh you joker!" she hooted.

Anya smiled confidently, suppressing the burning she felt rising in her cheeks. "So, Aunt Shoko, did you notice the decorations for the tournament when you came?" she continued flawlessly.

"Why yes I did child! They're certainly more lively than any other tournament held here before." she commented. "Was it you that planned them?"

Anya nodded, beaming. "I gave one or two little suggestions." she said modestly.

Sesshomaru, having just finished conversing with his uncle on his father's side, turned to Anya and his Aunt. "Humph, it was more like scrapping the whole plan and starting anew." he added.

This time Anya blushed. "I was trying to be modest, Sesshomaru." she whispered to him, elbowing him playfully in the ribs.

"My goodness Sesshomaru, you certainly look like your father. All grown up now! So, all that's left is a few little'uns running about here and there!" she chuckled.

Anya's face turned an even deeper shade of red than before. "Ahh… ha ha." she laughed nervously, glancing to Sesshomaru to stop this train of conversation.

"Indeed." he agreed, thoroughly enjoying his blushing mate's expression. "What do you think my sweet little Anya? We were just talking about that yesterday weren't we?" he went on.

"Oh, were we?" she faltered, suppressing the rising panic she could feel rising in her gut. It was like being stuck in a closet with no way to move. "Umm, did you enjoy dinner Aunt Shoko?" she asked, regaining composure.

"Why yes it was wonderful dearie. Though to tell you the truth, I'm ready for bed! It's gone ten already."

"Oh has it? I hadn't noticed." Sesshomaru observed. He glanced down at Anya, the blush receding from her face slowly. "Shall we go to bed then my love?"

Anya nodded her head, slightly angry with Sesshomaru for doing that to her. She was far too young for children! She wasn't even finished highschool yet! Seventeen was too young, no matter what time period you lived in.

Sesshomaru inwardly frowned at her reaction to the subject of children. He had thought that she wanted children. "Come on then, let us depart." he said, and took her hand.

"What's the matter my love?" asked Sesshomaru once they were in the privacy of his room.

"That was so embarrassing! How could you do that! Go off and ramble on about children like that? I'm still a child myself, I can't go off having kids! I mean sure I could, but it's just too soon for me!" she cried.

"I apologize, but I just think you're so adorable when you blush." he said simply, throwing off his haori, revealing his naked chest.

"Meanie." Anya pouted and crossed her arms with her back to Sesshomaru.

He sighed and came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're cute when you pout too." he whispered and bent his head down to the mating mark on her neck and began to suck lightly on the flesh of her neck.

"Stop that! I'm mad at you!" Anya exclaimed pulling away from Sesshomaru. "Just leave me alone."

"No. Come here, I'm sorry, I won't embarrass you in front of others again. Now, will you forgive me?" he asked, spreading his arms.

"Well, if you're that sorry I guess so… but if you want me to blush, all you have to do is flatter me." she told him, and walked into his embrace.

"You are definitely not a child anymore Anya, or have you forgotten last night?" he asked, smiling at the heat radiating from her face.

"Shut up! We need to sleep now. Good night my Lord." she kissed him lightly, before turning towards her room for the night.

"Pleasant dreams _my_ Lady." he bade her and watched her go. Smiling, he dressed in his nightclothes. He was certain that Anya would make an excellent mother, even if she felt she was far too young. He would have to explain that to her, one day when she'd calmed down about the whole thing.

Anya sighed, "What a day, now how do I get this thing off?" she asked herself as she stood in front of the mirror gazing at her reflection. Since her transformation, she'd never actually inspected her new appearance thoroughly. Running her fingers through her slightly tangled brown tinted silver locks, she was taken aback by how much she'd changed. She hardly recognized the face that was staring back at her. Her ears were pointed like Sesshomaru's now, and she had the same crescent moon on her forehead, which she took as a mark of royalty. Her fingernails had grown tremendously in length, and there was a slightly purplish line through each of them right in the middle. She wondered briefly about this, but let the thoughts slip away when she felt a wave of fatigue rush over her.

Not wanting to accidentally tear the dress in her struggle to disrobe, she decided that it would be safer just to sleep in it. It was a chilly evening on top of that, so she wandered over to her bed and slipped beneath the covers quietly, asleep in moments.

A/N: I hoped that you all liked it! Don't forget to review! Next chapter I'll start coverage of the tournament… I might make a chapter for each day… but I don't know yet.


	9. The Tournament: Part 1

The Tournament: Part 1

_Sesshomaru looked frantically around himself, he could hear screaming, Anya's screaming, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. All around him was darkness as he ran in the direction of her screaming. A tiny light flickered off in the distance, as though it was from a candle whose wick was quickly burning out. He tried to get there as fast as he could, but things kept jumping out at him. He didn't have his swords, and had to use his whip. _

_Just as he was about to reach her, a bone-chilling laughter punched its way through the howling of the wind. "You cannot save her Sesshomaru, this is her destiny! Who are you to challenge the hands of fate?" called the voice to which the laughter belonged. _

"_Naraku! Give her back to me!" Sesshomaru raged, he could feel the demon blood inside him beginning to take control, his true form being unleashed. _

"_Sesshomaru!" called Anya. It had been her that was the light. Her life force was being drained straight out of her body, into the Sacred Jewel. "Stop it Sesshomaru! You're hurting me!" _

_Sesshomaru's blood cooled slowly, and his transformation ceased. "Wake-up!" _

Anya shook Sesshomaru's shoulders. She didn't know what was wrong, but she'd heard yelling from his room and had rushed there as quickly as she could. Realizing that it was a nightmare, she gripped his shoulders and started shaking him, but then he'd brought out his whip and started whipping her. She was screaming so loudly that she was sure the whole castle must be awake by now. "Sesshomaru!" she cried painfully. "Stop it Sesshomaru! You're hurting me!" gritting her teeth, she tried desperately to calm him. "Wake-up!" she called. "Please wake-up my love!" she begged.

Sesshomaru's eyes shot open wide, and frightened. "Anya!" he exclaimed. Smelling blood, he realized what had happened. "What have I done?" he whispered looking at his mate's bloodstained body.

"I'm alright…" Anya said, fighting the lightheaded feeling creeping upon her. "What happened? Are you alright? I heard yelling, so I came to see what was wrong, you were having a nightmare. It seemed like a scary one…" she said faintly. She could feel unconsciousness pulling her into sweet black slumber…

"I'm so sorry… how could this have happened? I don't get nightmares, I don't get scared." he rambled, caressing Anya's hair. He pulled her close and cradled her gently in his arms, her blood seeping though the kimono that she was still wearing. "You're not alright! Anya! Anya wake-up!"

The door burst open and Raishun and Kaito ran inside, with their weapons at the ready. "Oh god." shouted Kaito, and dropped his staff as he rushed over to Anya's side.

A purplish light suddenly burst from Anya's wounds, throwing Sesshomaru and the Guardians away from her. Her kimono burst into a million shreds of fabric as a dark purple sphere formed itself around her.

Saeki rushed into the room just in time to see the barrier form, and stood dumbstruck in awe. There was nothing she could do other than watch.

"What is she?" demanded Kaito as he sat up and rubbed his head. He glanced over at Sesshomaru, who was still standing, being powerful enough to withstand her little burst of energy.

"My mate." he growled, and began to force his way through her barrier. Nothing would keep her from him, nothing. He reached out and touched her.

Suddenly the light went out and Anya began to fall from the air, which she had previously been suspended in. Sesshomaru caught her in his arms, hiding her nakedness from the others. He inspected her wounds, which were now only scabs. Understanding dawned on him, that had been her miko powers bursting forth to heal her body enough to regain consciousness.

"Anya!" Saeki shouted from the door, as she rushed over to help Sesshomaru cover her up. "What happened? Is she alright?" she demanded, worry creasing her forehead.

Sesshomaru was speechless, for once in his life he found that words would not form in his throat. The only thing that consumed his mind was his dream, and what he'd done without even being aware of it.

"What is this that she's all covered in?" Saeki asked curiously, reaching out to touch her forehead.

"Don't touch her, you'll be purified." Sesshomaru warned, at the last second. He gently laid her down on his bed and covered her with bloodstained sheets. "What took you so long?" he demanded at last.

"The castle was attacked…" Raishun began, but trailed off. He was still very worried about Anya. "Takeru and Akio are dealing with the intruders as we speak." he finished.

"Attacked? By who?" demanded Sesshomaru intensely. He had an idea, "Naraku." he answered for him.

"How did you…?" asked Kaito in disbelief.

"He was in my mind." Sesshomaru growled. "Where is he." he snarled and dashed out of the room with his sword in hand and Raishun at his side.

"Kaito, stay there." Raishun shouted back as he sped away with Sesshomaru down the hall.

Just outside the castle walls, Naraku's demons were storming the castle. The soldiers were putting up a great fight, and he could see immediately that they were no real threat to the castle itself.

Sesshomaru set to work immediately, destroying more than half of the swarm of demons with a single dragon strike attack. He caught the scent of that wind-witch Kagura, and spotted her over by the left.

A magenta light lit up the sky, purifying another few demons. Sesshomaru knew that light, it was one of Kagome's arrows. If she was here, then it meant that Inuyasha was here. Sesshomaru inwardly cursed, and searched about until he spotted the whirl of red that was his brother. "Inuyasha!" he called, and made his way over to him.

"What!" demanded Inuyasha as he sliced through a rather large demon.

"If my castle gets caught in the path of your Windscar, I will kill you." warned Sesshomaru darkly.

"Point taken." Inuyasha agreed as he leapt up into the air getting his Windscar ready.

"Dance of Blades" shouted Kagura as she unleashed her attack on Inuyasha, who jumped out of the way quickly.

"Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha as he jumped yet again into the air.

"I'm on it!" she shouted back and let loose one of her sacred arrows to pierce through her control of the wind.

Kagura scoffed and sent one last barrage of blades crashing down towards the oncoming arrow, knowing it was useless, and shot off into the air, escaping the battle.

Sesshomaru prepared his dragon strike, and the two brothers unleashed their attacks together, eliminating the present threat immediately. "Damn." Sesshomaru snarled. "She got away again."

Inuyasha slung his blade over his shoulder with a triumphant smirk. "Damn that Kagura." he spat through gritted teeth and turned to Sesshomaru.

Kagome came running over from her hiding place in the bushes with Shippo perched on her shoulder. "Kagura got away!" she exclaimed, disappointed.

Sesshomaru observed the damage done to his property with bitterness. He was not a happy Taiyoukai at the moment. Anya suddenly came flooding back to his thoughts and he turned on his heels and dashed back into the castle.

Raishun came over to Inuyasha as Sesshomaru was leaving. "So, you got Tetsusaiga did you?" he observed nonchalantly. "Not bad there little prince." he taunted with a sly smile on his face.

"Shut-up Raishun." Inuyasha shot with a bitter tone. "What's all this about anyways?" he demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"So in other words, you have no clue either." Inuyasha stated with a bored tone.

"Are you staying for the Tournament little prince? With that sword you might beat Koito this time, or are you going to run off again like last time and get pinned to a tree?" Raishun asked, taunting him to start something.

"The Tournament? Already? Great." Inuyasha groaned. "When does it start?" he asked.

"Tomorrow is the first day." Raishun grinned.

"We'll stay for the first day, just so I can beat that damn Koito." Inuyasha snarled. "And stop calling me prince." he added with a glare.

"Fine, Inuyasha. If you get beat though, I'll laugh harder than I did last time, especially since Koito hasn't gotten any stronger since you last fought him." Raishun said as he turned his back and began walking away back to the castle. "Follow me and I'll show your friends where they can sleep. You already have a room Inuyasha, so don't expect to be shown to yours."

Inuyasha mumbled something about pompous Guardians and how their egos are so damn huge, and shoved his sword back into it's sheath. He, Kagome, Miroku and Sango all began walking after Raishun.

Once at the gates, Kirara transformed back to her small form and jumped up onto Sango's shoulder, purring and rubbed herself around Sango's cheek.

Saeki sat down beside Anya on the bed, making sure not to touch her like Sesshomaru had ordered her. "Do you think she'll be alright?" she asked, glancing over to where Kaito was leaning against the bed frame.

"Yeah, I think she'll pull through just fine. Though, what Sesshomaru said about Naraku being in his mind doesn't sit well with me." he added. He had his guard up, not wanting to give Naraku a chance at victory, especially when it was Anya that was a risk.

"Yeah…" Saeki agreed solemnly. From what she could discern from the mess, it looked like Sesshomaru had been having a nightmare, possibly induced by Naraku, when Anya had rushed in to see what was wrong and he'd acted out his dream.

Kaito glanced impatiently towards the closed door, wondering briefly when Sesshomaru was going to return and wanting to know if Naraku had been destroyed. Knowing the way the last few attempts at destroying him though, he seriously doubted that Naraku was dead. "Damn that Naraku!" muttered Kaito.

The sky from the window flashed a greenish color, and Kaito dashed over to see what was going on. "Humph, looks like Inuyasha's here." he commented watching as he and Sesshomaru unleashed their attacks on the hoard of demons.

"Inuyasha's here?" Saeki exclaimed, astonished. "You don't think he's going to stay for the Tournament do you?" she asked, jumping up from the bed and running over to the window.

"Well Raishun's probably going to coerce Inuyasha into staying, probably just so he can see Koito defeat him again." Kaito shrugged.

"Isn't that your brother?" Saeki asked, observing the scene going on down there.

"He's not much of a brother to begin with, and if Inuyasha's gotten stronger at all, then I bet he'll beat him." Kaito sighed, bored. "Well, looks like you get your wish Saeki, Inuyasha's staying." he said, and turned away from the window.

Saeki glared at Kaito. "I don't like him." she informed him bitterly. Secretly though she was glad Inuyasha was staying, he had always been nice to her when they were little kids.

"I never said you did Saeki. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I won't tell everyone." Kaito grinned. He smiled slyly over at her as he returned to leaning against the bedpost.

"I don't!" she shot temperamentally back at him as she stomped back to the bed. "So don't go telling lies." she added with a huff.

Anya began to stir, as a burning sensation tickled its way across her body. "Ugh…" her slurred speech making Saeki wonder is she could even form proper words. Anya began to sit up, holding her sheets up at her chin, with her other hand on her forehead, trying to ease the pounding. "Sessho…maru? " she asked weakly.

Saeki restrained herself from going to her. "Are you alright Anya-chan? Just lie back down and rest, Sesshomaru-sama will be here in a moment." she soothed in a motherly tone. "Everything will be alright, just relax." she added.

A few moments later, Sesshomaru rushed into the room again. "Has she awoken?" he demanded in a rather stressed tone as he strode over to her side. Kneeling down beside her, he gently stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Just a few minutes ago, asking for you. She seemed fine, so I'll assume that she'll recover shortly." Kaito informed him. "I'll go get a healer up here." he said, and made his departure.

"I'll go with him." Saeki added, and bounded after Kaito, leaving the two alone for the time being.

Sesshomaru looked over her wounds sorrowfully, knowing that it had been him that had done this to her. "Anya?" he asked, a hint of emotion in his tone.

Anya stirred once again. "Hey." she smiled, opening her eyes slightly to look at him. "It's not your fault." she said weakly. "I should have known better than to start shaking a demon lord out of a nightmare." she added with a huff.

"It was Naraku, he was in my mind." Sesshomaru told her, "Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"No, I'm just drained… from using my powers to heal myself." she sighed. "How could Naraku get into your mind?" she asked, sitting up at last.

"I don't know, but he was, he told me that he was going to take you from me, that it was your destiny and that I couldn't stop the hands of fate." he said through gritted teeth. "Humph, if he thinks he can toy with me like that, then he has another think coming. I'm never going to let his filthy hands touch you, I can assure you that. If he so much as looks at you, I'll slit his throat and spill every last drop of his blood." he snarled, more to the air than to anything.

Anya sighed with a half smile on her face. "I love you too." she said. "Ah, do you think you can find me something to wear for a while, until I can get back to my own room? I have a feeling that some people are coming to see if everything's alright." she asked. The light purple sheen dissipating from around her skin as the last of her scars healed over into little raised scars.

Sesshomaru grabbed his haori from it's place behind his door and helped her stand up to put it on, just before the healer walked in with Kaito and Saeki in tow.

The healer looked over Anya's wounds for a minute, and checked her temperature. "Well, you just need to rest and let your strength build up again." she said and reached into a small bag that she'd brought with her. Pulling out a small package of some green sticky sap-like gum, she handed it to Anya. "Chew on these, and it'll help you regain your strength faster. Otherwise, a good night's sleep will do you. It looks like you did most of the work yourself." commented the healer with a smile.

Anya thanked her for the medicine, and bade her a good night. Turning to Sesshomaru, Saeki and Kaito she smiled. "I think I'm alright now, and just need some rest. So I'll see you in the morning." she said, and turned to leave.

"Goodnight!" Kaito and Saeki said in unison, and departed the room, once again leaving Sesshomaru and Anya alone.

"I'm staying with you." Sesshomaru told her, and picked her up and carried her back to her room. He laid her gently beneath the covers and held her close to him. "Goodnight my sweet." he whispered soothingly.

"Mmmmm, goodnight." Anya whispered back, smiling blissfully. She was asleep in minutes, breathing deeply with her handsome mate watching over her, safe and secure in his arms.

Wind whistled through Kagura's hair from atop her feather as she made her way back to Naraku's castle. She'd done as asked and had unleashed the demons on Sesshomaru's castle, knowing they wouldn't be able to do much damage. It wasn't the first time that she'd been given orders to blindly attack a castle though, and figured that it had been a diversion, but for what? That was what she wanted to know. Kanna had been up to something, that she was sure of because she'd seen her and her little mirror while she'd been looking into one of the rooms in the castle.

"I'm sick of being treated like a pawn." she muttered to herself, gazing longingly towards the sea. It wasn't fair! She was the wind, she was supposed to be free.

"Freedom seems as tangible as a wispy cloud on a windy day." she sighed as tears misted in her vision while she flew dutifully back to her prison, her heart longing for even a taste of true freedom, all the while knowing that it was but a distant dream.

Dawn on the first day of the Tournament streamed in through Anya's open window, brining with it the sweet smells from the garden and the sounds of birds twittering joyously amongst the flowers.

Anya's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the brightness of the light hitting her eyes. She felt much better now that she'd rested, and smiled peacefully. Looking around, she noticed that Sesshomaru was gone already, and that he'd left her a lavender colored kimono to wear to breakfast. She was just about to stretch and get up, when Saeki burst into her room looking as though she had something urgent to discuss.

"Anya! You're awake! Excellent. Sesshomaru-sama told me to check on you. Hasu the healer said that you should be well by now, but Sesshomaru still thinks you need babying, he's ordered your breakfast to be brought up here for you." Saeki started yapping as she walked over to the kimono hanging on the end of the bed. "Here, I'll help you dress." she offered.

Anya chuckled lightly under her breath, "You're always so lively in the morning!" Anya commented as she began to get up, but stopped as she felt a spark of something with her miko powers.

Saeki noticed her fallen expression and frowned. "What is it? Are you still unwell?" she asked with concern.

"No, but I think I sense a jewel shard… why here though?" she muttered. Quickly she got up and began dressing. "Come on, I've got to find it." she said once she was clothed.

"But Anya-chan! Your hair!" she called after her, but Anya's mind was made up.

"Saeki! Come on!" Anya called quietly over her shoulder. She couldn't just let a fragment of the jewel lie around unprotected, it was too dangerous. Perhaps that had been what Naraku had been using to penetrate into Sesshomaru's mind during the night. Down the hallway she flew, stepping as lightly as she could, just incase it was a fight that she was in for. With every step drawing nearer to the jewel.

Saeki rushed behind her, wondering what Sesshomaru would do should he find out that she let Anya go running about the castle chasing after jewel shards. Perhaps she should go and get him, just to keep Anya out of danger. It never occurred to her to think that Inuyasha or someone from his little band of friends might be carrying around jewel shards, so she didn't say anything to Anya and just followed her. "Shouldn't we wait and get some back-up at least?" asked Saeki.

"Pshaw, and let the whole castle know about the Sacred Jewel? No friggin' way!" Anya declared. She was very close to it now, and stopped in front of an ordinary looking door. She contemplated knocking, but then figured that since it was her house that she didn't have to, and just opened the door quietly. Slipping inside quietly, she bade Saeki to follow behind her.

The room was like any other guest's room that she'd seen in her moments of exploring around the castle, so it didn't strike her as looking strange in any way. The door clicked softly behind her as Saeki closed it.

"Is somebody there?" questioned a female voice from behind another door, presumably the bathroom. It sounded strangely familiar and made Anya stop dead in her tracks.

"That's Kagome's voice! Why would…" whispered Anya, frowning at the door. She quickly scanned the room and located the jewel shards in a little bottle beside the bed. Grabbing them quickly, she tucked them in her obi so that they wouldn't fall out and prepared herself for… she wasn't sure what.

"Inuyasha? Is that you?" called the voice again as the door creaked open and a robed Kagome walked out.

The cousins stared at eachother for a second and then screamed. "Kagome? What are you doing here?" demanded Anya, feeling so out of the loop.

"I got here last night, when Naraku's demons were attacking the castle. Hey, why do you have my jewel shards?" Kagome asked, with a slightly suspicious edge to her voice.

"I didn't think it was you, and I sensed jewel shards…" Anya trailed off as she retrieved the bottle from her obi and handed them back to Kagome. "Naraku's demons attacked last night?" she asked, turning back to Saeki and glaring slightly with a 'how could you forget to tell me this' look.

Saeki and Kagome explained everything that had happened last night, thoroughly filling Anya in and getting her up to speed about everything. Afterwards, Kagome fixed Anya's hair, and the two got to talking about everything that had happened since they'd parted.

Afterwards, they went downstairs to see what everyone else was doing.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were standing out by the entrance to the castle, which was where the various Lords would be arriving from, in an impatient silence. It had only been recently that they had agreed to work together to defeat Naraku, when he had declared war on Sesshomaru's lands. They both felt as though it were their duty to protect the kingdom seeing as how they were brothers after all. Sesshomaru had released his bitterness over Inuyasha's absence fifty years ago when the war from the continent had taken place, and now considered him simply idiotic for getting pinned to a tree for fifty years.

"Stop shuffling or I'll make you." Sesshomaru ordered, his patience finally running out. He was feeling just as impatient as Inuyasha was, but he didn't have to move about so much.

"Well, when the hell are they going to get here?" Inuyasha bit out as he sat cross-legged on the ground in a huff.

Sesshomaru remained silent, listening instead towards Anya's chambers, wondering if she was feeling better yet and if she'd woken up.

Inuyasha sniffed at the air, catching the scent of Kagome and two demons. Frowning, he stood, his hand unconsciously straying to the hilt of his sword.

Sesshomaru caught Anya's scent at the same time and turned around to greet his lady, there was nothing unusual about her scent at all. "Relax." he told Inuyasha with a bored tone.

The three girls descended from the main staircase and made their way over to where Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were awaiting the arrival of the other Lords and their entourage.

"It's early, I thought you would sleep longer." Sesshomaru told Anya. He noticed that she still looked slightly pale and drained, but if she felt it then she wasn't showing it at all.

"Good morning to you aswell!" Anya said with a tiny hint of sarcasm as she shone a brilliant smile at Sesshomaru.

"What happened to you?" questioned Inuyasha, noticing how different she looked since her transformation.

"Inuyasha!" chastised Kagome with an edge to her tone. She was astonished that even after all the times that she'd 'sat' him, he still wouldn't learn to be polite!

Anya gave him a questioning glance, raising an eyebrow. "I would assume that you would know what happened Inuyasha, and don't really need me to explain it." she said, sounding very much like Sesshomaru in doing so.

Inuyasha laughed and agreed with her, "Oh yeah, heh heh. It must be just a constant party here living with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha laughed, receiving an evil glare from Sesshomaru.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Anya hinted mischievously, her eyes sparkling. She then laughed at Inuyasha's disgusted expression. "You sure are a strange one Inuyasha." she laughed.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded. He didn't like being made fun of at all, and he had a funny feeling that his brother was giving a full out smirk, which felt even less appealing to him than being just plain made fun of.

Kagome was just about to loose her temper with Inuyasha once and for all, when she noticed a group of demons travelling down the main road towards the castle. "Hey! Who're they?" she questioned, curiously peering around Sesshomaru to get a better view.

Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder, which was genuinely unnecessary, because he already knew that it was the Lord of the South and his family. Turning his gaze back to Anya, they shared a look preparing the other for what was about to come.

Anya feared that after the not so warm welcome to the family, the welcome amongst the other Lords and Ladies would be even less so. Despite her apprehension, she flashed an encouraging smile towards her mate, "Here we go." she breathed, and linked arms with Sesshomaru to greet their guests.

"So are they here for the Tournament?" asked Kagome, already knowing the answer but feeling that she'd like to ask anyways.

"Yeah, just pretend like you don't exist, and maybe you'll get through this." Inuyasha muttered in her ear, stepping formally behind and to the right of Sesshomaru respectfully.

Kagome was shocked to see him straighten his back and stand without his arms crossed just like his brother. In that instant she could hardly tell them apart, except for the height, and clothes.

Inuyasha turned his gaze quizzically back to her and indicated that she stand beside him. So she quickly stepped beside him, completely hidden from the part by Sesshomaru.

Saeki, who had kept quiet throughout the whole conversation, moved so that she was beside Anya, fully prepared to kick her shins should she mess up as promised. "Relax Anya-chan, " she whispered leaning over towards Anya slightly, "I won't let them eat you alive!" she chuckled.

Sesshomaru briefly wondered where the rest of the Guardians were, for the should be here to greet the guests. His eyes focused on the approaching party, judged that there was still a few minutes for them to arrive promptly. He was inches away from sighing out loud, but with his stoic mask now firmly defining the extent of his character made it impossible to give in to that selfish desire.

"Ooh look! It's little Yashykins! Finally come down outta your tree have you?" taunted a smirking Kaito as he and the other Guardians finally appeared taking their places beside Inuyasha.

Kagome glanced over to see Inuyasha's eye twitching angrily. This was unknown territory for her though, and she wasn't exactly sure what to do at all. The simple fact that Inuyasha was attempting composure was an amazing feat.

"Humph, watch it." Inuyasha grumbled warily, he wasn't in the mood to deal with Kaito's comments.

Anya looked back and met eyes with Kaito, who flashed her a triumphant smirk. Anya frowned at him disapprovingly. "I suggest you don't provoke him at the moment Kaito." she added quietly, wanting to keep things going as smoothly as possible.

Kaito sighed slightly, and glanced at Inuyasha, noticing Kagome at last. His eyes shot wide as he realized that she was human. "Shit." he cursed under his breath. Glancing to Raishun and nodding towards Kagome, he mouthed 'South'.

"What were you thinking brining a human to greet Lord Aki? Inuyasha do you enjoy bathing in blood?" Raishun glared at him. Turning his gaze to Kagome he sighed. "Girl, do not utter a single sound around the Lord of the South." he warned.

Kagome nodded seriously, and glared angrily at Inuyasha, who sent an apologetic look her way.

Anya's guard went up immediately, and she glanced up worriedly at Sesshomaru, who simply looked bored, as though they should have been here by now. Seeming to notice Anya's tension, he moved his arm around her pulling her close against his side. "He can't smell a mangy wolf sitting beside him." Sesshomaru said simply, obviously not worried at all.

"Then how…?"

"He can define a being's species by the tone of their voice." Sesshomaru replied, knowing her question before she even asked it.

"What about me then? My voice hasn't changed since…" Anya whispered, feeling what little color she had left in her face drain.

Sesshomaru glanced worriedly down at her, not having thought about that. "He is no match for me. I will protect you." he hushed, hoping to calm his mate's fears, but only making them worse.

Anya took a deep breath as the Lord of the South approached Sesshomaru and her. He looked very much like a shorter, stockier version of Raishun, and was definitely much older and had random streaks of grey throughout his hair. Plastering a confident smile on her face, Anya greeted him cordially, praying to Kamisama that he was on her side with this one. Relief flooded through her as he seemed to not notice her heritage, and the idea that it wasn't her voice that he had a problem with. Suddenly she sensed a jewel shard, a seriously tainted shard embedded in his ear and stifled a yelp of surprise.

Sesshomaru glanced down at her, wondering what had caused the sudden spike in her scent. He couldn't really ask her in front of the Southern Lord, so he waited. "Welcome to my lands Lord Aki. Please allow Takeru to show you and your family to your rooms, and then once the other guests arrive the Tournament will commence." he said, greeting the Southern Lord.

Takeru bowed to the Lord and led the party of ten into the castle.

As soon as they were safely out of sight and hearing, Anya immediately turned to Kagome and Inuyasha. "Jewel shard, in his right ear. Kagome what the hell are we going to do?" Anya hissed.

Kagome nodded, "I sensed it too. Do you think he's working for Naraku?" she suggested.

Inuyasha snorted, "I don't see why he would offer to work with a half-demon, he kills human as his mission in life." he hushed back.

Kaito eyed them suspiciously, they were all whispering to eachother, like they had something important to hide. "What's all this about?" he asked suspiciously, noticing how they immediately stopped talking and resumed their positions, with a somewhat worried expression on their faces. He would have to ask Sesshomaru about this later, for he was sure that if Lady Anya was worried about it then it had to be something pretty important.

Anya still didn't know if she could trust Kaito, because she hadn't known him for very long at all. She wasn't sure that she could even trust Saeki completely, which was why she ended the conversation as soon as Kaito had become curious. "Don't worry about it Kaito." she said with a smile.

Lord Ryou, of the North was next to arrive. He was a dragon demon, employing Kaito's brother Koito as a Guardian also. They embraced happily, having not seen eachother in a year.

"Greetings Lord Ryou." Sesshomaru said. Anya noticed that he spoke with a much warmer tone than he had with Lord Aki. She also noticed that the Lady of the North wasn't there either, so she assumed that perhaps he was unmated. "Lady Shoko must still be sleeping, otherwise I'm sure she would have been here to greet you." Sesshomaru said.

Anya's eyes betrayed a moment of shock, which she quickly concealed. She glared daggers at Sesshomaru as he glanced to her giving her a sheepish smile.

"Hmm yes, I'd have been very surprised indeed had she been up. Well enough about my mate, introduce me to the new addition! It's about time you know Sesshomaru." he chuckled.

Sesshomaru looked down at Anya, smiling slightly. "Anya, this is Lord Ryou." he said.

Anya's eyes shifted from Sesshomaru's to Lord Ryou's chin. "Pleased to meet you Lord Ryou." she said sweetly, giving a respectful bow.

He chuckled lightly, "Am I that repulsive? I know I'm not as young as I used to be…" he trailed off thoughtfully, while observing Anya's startled reaction.

Anya's eyes instinctively flicked to Ryou's and wondered how she'd messed up. "I don't think you're repulsive…" she started confused. She felt Saeki nudge her shin, letting her know that she'd messed up, and quickly dropped Ryou's gaze, inwardly cursing at how flustered she was becoming.

"Of course you do! Why won't you look at me?" he asked, enjoying teasing her. His laughing eyes found themselves being glared at by Sesshomaru.

Anya's mind screamed at her 'You messed up! Way to go _stupid_!' and she didn't know what she should do next. Getting angry at Sesshomaru and storming off was looking like a very tempting option at the moment. The other option was even more tempting, to just burst into tears of frustration.

"Ryou, do you need constant supervision?" yawned a tired looking Shoko as she approached her mate from the doorway. "Don't pay him any mind Anya darling, he's just a big tease." she sighed. She glared at her mate, and took him into the castle with her, along with the rest of the party.

Once they were far enough away, Anya turned to Sesshomaru and slapped him hard across the face. "Jerk." she spat through gritted teeth, and marched off back to her room.

Kagome ran after her leaving everyone in a shocked silence.

Sesshomaru's eyes were wide in shock that she had just done that. He blinked away the shock, and resisted the urge to go after her and apologize.

Anya reached the bottom of the stairs before she dropped to her knees, trying to control her tears. She flinched as an arm wound around her shoulders. She recognized it as Kagome immediately and leaned into her cousin's shoulder, sobbing. "He's such a jerk! I want to go home! I want to go back to being me again, I can't take all this right now! I want my daddy." she sobbed.

"There wasn't really anything Sesshomaru could have done…" Kagome pleaded.

"What? You're on his side? I can't believe this! The whole world's gone mad! You know what, that's it, I'm gone. I've been put through enough already." Anya yelled at her cousin, pushing away from her, she stalked off towards her room, leaving Kagome at the base of the stairs with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Once upstairs, she changed out of the stupid kimono, and dressed in her gi. Shoving her weapons angrily into their holsters, she grabbed her bag and turned to the door to leave only to find Sesshomaru there.

"What are you doing." he demanded angrily.

"I can't do this anymore Sesshomaru. You can't just shove someone into a totally different lifestyle, and expect so much of them all at once! This isn't me! I can't just bow down to everyone all the time, I'm not like that! I love you, but I'm trapped here. It's just so hard to be someone else," she yelled, her tone softening towards the end. "I'm sorry!" she screamed, and burst into sobs. "I'm sorry I can't be the person you want me to be, I'm not good enough for you, so…" she sobbed. Wiping her eyes swiftly, she met Sesshomaru's eyes with a determined expression. "Goodbye, Sesshomaru." she said and tears began to stream anew down her cheeks.

Sesshomaru growled angrily. "You have no idea what you're talking about." he growled. "Don't think I'm going to let you go." he said and walked closer to her, cupping her chin in his hand, he tilted her face upwards to his and brushed the tears away. "Do you truly believe what you just said? Look at me and say it again." he whispered.

Tears flooded from her eyes as she choked back a sob. "I'm not good enough for you." she whispered, closing her eyes to block out Sesshomaru's gaze, she couldn't take it, she could imagine his hate filled gaze crashing down upon her inside, shattering her fragile glass heart.

"You're wrong." came Sesshomaru's soft words. "I love you." he whispered. His tone hardened slightly "I won't let you leave me." he stated.

Anya was about to object, but stopped when she saw pain in his eyes. "Then let me be myself." she told him deliberately.

"I never wanted you to be someone other than who you are. Why can't you see that?" he said harshly.

Anya sighed in exasperation. "What were all those rules for then? Don't look them in the eye, stay beside me at all times, watch what you say… etcetera etcetera, blah blah." she said accusingly.

Sesshomaru remained silent for a moment. "That was to protect you, I wasn't expecting that Lord Ryou would do that though, and I should have said something, only I didn't want to embarrass you further." he sighed.

"Well I suppose that's as good an apology that I'm going to get isn't it. Well, just tell them all I've lost my voice, cause I'm not talking, and you can't make me. I could care less if it's rude. On top of that, once this stupid tournament is over, I am going home. You can come too if you want, but I'm going and that's final! Understand?" she demanded.

Sesshomaru smiled, finally she was being herself again. "Perfectly." he said and hugged her close to him.

Inuyasha glared at Koito from across the dojo. He was determined to defeat him this time, his honor would not be crushed again. The 'no weapons' rule was very annoying, even though he didn't necessarily need his Tetsusaiga to defeat Koito, he didn't like to risk his demon blood controlling him again.

"Let the first match begin." announced Sesshomaru from the sidelines, Anya at his side once more, their minor dispute resolved at last.

Inuyasha shot towards Koito viciously, aiming a brutal punch at his face. He wasn't surprised when Koito jumped out of the way.

Aiming a kick to Inuyasha's head, Koito smirked as he came down. This was just like last time, he remembered the exact way that he'd knocked him out, and it was starting to look like déjà vu.

Remembering what happened last time, Inuyasha wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, and stepped aside just as Koito was kicking down. Smirking, he clawed Koito's startled face, bloodying his hands nicely. He jumped back and released his blades of blood while Koito was still nursing his face. "Concede." Inuyasha smirked.

Koito couldn't believe he'd been so careless! Now he couldn't see, let alone fight Inuyasha, but he wasn't about to loose his pride that easily. "Die you stupid half-breed!" he spat and jumped in the direction he'd heard Inuyasha speak last.

Inuyasha growled at being called a half-breed, and charged at Koito, bashing him right on the head, knocking him out cold. With a triumphant smirk he stepped over the body toward Anya and Sesshomaru. Kagome hadn't been allowed to watch the Tournament, because it was strictly demons, but Shippo was here, perched atop Anya's shoulder.

"Wow Inuyasha! That was amazing!" admired Shippo as he jumped over to Inuyasha. He'd been very impressed that Inuyasha hadn't lost it and turned into that nasty demon again.

"Congratulations Inuyasha." smiled Anya, even though she'd refused to say anything else up until now.

"Meh, he's stupid." Inuyasha quipped with a smirk. He'd come, he'd won and now he was ready to leave before any of the others decided to challenge him. "I'm getting Kagome and the others now, and leaving. Do you think you can handle the problem here by yourself?" he asked in a quieter tone.

Anya glanced up at Sesshomaru, who nodded and she smiled back at Inuyasha. "Uh-huh, I'm more worried about how I'm going to last out for five friggin days of prissy demons talking at me." she whispered back, glancing over to where many of the other young female demons had gathered, and were chattering away animatedly.

Inuyasha glanced over at them and shuddered. "Good luck." he said with sarcasm. Like she was going to get by all five days without talking, he thought she was insane. When he'd been living here, it had been impossible to get through even half an hour of silence! "Bye." he waved.

"Goodbye Lady Anya!" Shippo exclaimed, waving excitedly.

"Bye guys." she said back kindly and waved. Once they were gone, she turned to Sesshomaru, "Just promise me you'll keep an eye on Mr. Shard, I don't want him trying anything." she asked, still very wary about being recaptured by Naraku, especially after Sesshomaru's dream.

"You know I will." he reassured her quietly, and then declared the next match. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: I hope everyone liked it! Don't forget to review! Luv Abby


	10. The Tournament: Part 2

The Tournament: Part 2 

Anya blinked in disbelief at what she was hearing. "Come again? I don't think I heard you right the first time." she questioned snottily, daring the girl to say that again.

"I challenge you for the right to mate Lord Sesshomaru." replied the demoness using the same tone.

Anya scoffed and looked her up and down as though sizing her up. _'I can so take her' _ "Huh, I think you're a little too late for that, but if you think you can defeat me then you seriously need a therapist." spat Anya, so much for keeping quiet the rest of the day.

The demoness frowned, "What was that?" she demanded, not knowing what this 'therapist' word meant.

Anya pulled down the neck of her gi, revealing the mating mark. "Doesn't this mean anything to you, you little whore?" she looked over to Sesshomaru with confusion, "Is she even allowed to do that?" she asked.

Sesshomaru was watching his mate's plight with amusement, and nodded at her question. "She can challenge you, but I doubt that she'll win." Sesshomaru offered.

"To hell with you! Stupid whore, can't you find yourself a mate instead of going around trying to take other's?" Anya shouted, she was getting very pissed off and humiliated that she had to fight off other females, it was seriously messed up.

"So does that mean you're accepting my challenge?" asked the female darkly.

Anya scoffed, "Yeah whatever." she said, frowning. Was this even normal? Looking over, she noticed Sesshomaru's amused smirk and boldly stuck her tongue out at him as she followed the girl to the center of the room. Turning to the girl she smirked, "When you wake-up with the worst headache of your life, then you'll know what it's like living with Sesshomaru, and you'll think twice about challenging me for him again." she laughed.

"We'll see." replied the demoness, smirking.

Anya gave a disbelieving laugh and shook her head at how stupid this was. I mean who seriously cares about whose stronger? The whole marriage/mating thing was about love, wasn't it?

"Begin the match." announced Sesshomaru.

Anya ran up and decked the demoness in the head, knocking her out cold instantly. In the same stride she walked out of the center and stood in front of Sesshomaru. "So what, don't you get challenged for me?" she asked with a smirk.

"I don't think there's anyone here brave enough to fight me." Sesshomaru scoffed, looking around the room with a glare, daring anyone to even try. "Very well done, by the way." he complimented.

"Oh shut-up. Kagome puts up more of a fight, and she's a human." Anya mumbled grumpily. "I loathe this you know. It's so barbaric! Would you seriously go off with someone else if they beat me?" she demanded.

"No, I'd kill them. Then there wouldn't be anyone living that beat you." Sesshomaru said. "Just because they beat you doesn't mean that I'm obligated to take them instead, some Lords are like that though." Sesshomaru said.

"Oh, same here." she agreed. "Not that I really have to worry about that, you're big, and strong, so I'm safe." she laughed, running her hand up his biceps. She could feel angry glares hitting her back like flies. "Wow, what are they? Animals or something? Or is it that you're adequate looking and they have no morals?" she asked.

"Adequate? I'm insulted!" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried when we go to your home?" he asked.

Anya smirked mischievously. "Maybe…" she grinned, leaning full into his chest. "So, when do I get to fight you?" she asked curiously.

"Why, do you want to fight me?" he asked, noticing the gaggle of demonesses glaring at his Anya jealously.

"Not really, now that I think about it I need to keep my strength, cause even like this I'm not at peak health. If I fought you, I'd just have a harder time keeping on top of all those crazy fangirls that keep stalking you. My sexy Sesshy." she said, knowing that the girls could hear her loud and clear. "Actually, I think I'm going to take a gander about the gardens. Try not to cheat on me while I'm gone." she yawned, and strode off out of the dojo, leaving her mate to fend for himself.

Sitting down on one of the various benches scattered about the gardens, Anya sighed and closed her eyes breathing deeply the scent of rose. Finally peace and quiet, she hadn't realized how loud it had been in there, especially with all of those giggling fangirls that were causing her blood to broil with every shrill shriek of forced laughter. She felt like such an outsider that it was unbelievable! Having been a person brought up with morals and ideals, the situation she found herself in now, was like mating season at the zoo! It was weird and not just a little uncomfortable too. At least she didn't have to pretend to be somebody else now that was a relief even if now she was constantly on guard.

"Oh look who it is! Why the hell did Lord Sesshomaru-sama pick a little nobody like you, when he could have had a well bred demon like one of us?" asked the shrill prissy voice of one of the fangirls.

Anya cracked an eye open and observed them without concern. "Maybe because unlike you fine demons, I could care less if he was a Lord, or just some ordinary demon. Why do you care so much?" she asked, fed up with this weirdness.

"I don't know, why do you?" replied what looked like the leader.

Anya, having now opened both her eyes frowned. "You've got to be kidding me right? Oh Kami-sama, why do you try me so with stupid idiots!" Anya muttered. Out loud she replied, "Umm, he's my mate… and we love eachother. Even if one of you stupid bimbos happened to beat me in a fight, what makes you think that Sesshomaru won't just kill you for marring my beautiful face?" Anya asked, matching their prissy tone.

"You're not beautiful. Everybody knows that beauty is only skin deep." shot back the demoness snottily, thinking she'd made a ton of sense.

Anya smirked, she was just too smart for these demons. "Do you even know how to read?" she asked, having an idea at what the answer would be.

"What has that got to do with anything? If you must know, I can read my name, in kanji _and _katakana!" she replied.

Anya couldn't hold back her snort of laughter. "What, is that it? Don't you read books? Literature? Stories?" she asked, disbelieving her luck.

Blank expressions met her superior gaze. "That doesn't matter anyways, who cares about reading?"

"There you go then! None of you could even last a day mated to Sesshomaru, not when you can't even read! Why can't you just accept that he's taken?" she asked, trying to get out of knocking them all unconscious.

"Because, you're not one of us! You're different, and you're dirtying the royal lineage of the West!" spat the fangirl leader venomously.

Anya stood up straight, seriously pissed. "Say that again. I dare you." she challenged through gritted teeth, feeling as though a raging fire of anger were consuming her emotions.

"You're dirtying the royal lineage of the West." repeated the demoness with contempt. Obviously too stupid to be running away.

"You're dead." Anya snarled viciously and pounced on the demoness ferociously, venom dripping from her nails.

A brief moment of struggling ensued and a strangled cry brought Sesshomaru out to see what was going on. A bright purple light surrounded the two and Anya's eyes shot wide. Immediately she stopped what she was doing, and watched as purple venom from her fingernails purified the demoness' body.

"Shit." she cursed and looked at her hands, covered in a translucent purple sheen. "What the hell is this?" she muttered, staring intently at her hands.

Sesshomaru walked over calmly, after verifying that the demoness wasn't anybody particularly important. "It's fine Anya, she wasn't anybody important." he said simply, noticing that the same purple sheen was covering her hands, as had her body the previous night.

"Do you know what this is Sesshomaru?" she asked, thrusting her hands towards him with an intense frown.

"Poison, mixed with your spiritual purification powers. Though I don't know what triggers the secretion of it." he said after observing the effect on the dead demoness as it ate through her ashes.

"Creepy." she said and shuddered. "The problem is, that I don't know what triggers it either… so don't touch me or anything." she warned, taking a step back from Sesshomaru cautiously.

Sesshomaru smirked and grabbed her hand.

"No! Sesshomaru what are you doing? Are you insane? You'll be purified!" shouted Anya, but she realized that nothing was happening and frowned. "Why aren't you dead?" she demanded, he knew something and he wasn't telling her!

Pulling down his kimono at the neck, he revealed her mark to her. It was purple, where her venom had seeped into his blood and coagulated to form two purple puncture holes in his shoulder. "Remember?" he asked, and then looked at hers. "Yours is green, and that's why my poison can't hurt you." he told her. Then as an afterthought he added "That's also why you have a poison attack."

"Ah, that would make sense." Anya agreed solemnly. Her gaze shifted to her hand, to the poison intently, and she wandered off seeming distracted to find somewhere to wash her hands.

Sesshomaru turned back to the demon females who were staring with shocked expressions at the ashes of their fallen comrade as they blew away in the gentle breeze. Turning swiftly, Sesshomaru walked back to the Tournament with a stoic expression as though saying 'I could care less what happens to you'.

The day had officially ended, and now it was time for the grand dinner. In other words it was now that Anya started feeling like a doll. She was wearing one of the kimonos that Sesshomaru had stowed away in his little room, 'Fire' was the name given to it. The background was black, and along the bottom of the kimono and the sleeves, fire crept up the dress hypnotically. The obi was in the pattern of a river of lava, on the whole it was a mesmerizing sight.

Anya sighed, "Can't I just be fed intravenously?" she asked, receiving a confused frown from Sesshomaru.

"Come along, we mustn't be late." he replied, taking her hand and pulling her out of the room. "You look wonderful!" he complimented.

"Yeah, for a doll." she grumbled angrily and followed after him.

At the top of the stairs, they met Saeki, who was dressed up in a pretty orange and yellow kimono, with a red obi. "You know Anya, you have this way of walking that makes you look as though you're floating, even when you're being clumsy you look graceful." Saeki sighed.

"Thanks… I guess. I have been training in martial arts since I was able to walk, so that must be it." she smiled.

"Mmmm, no, that's not it. It's just your way of walking." Saeki decided, and descended the stairs before them.

Anya gazed after Saeki with a small smile. She knew exactly what to say to make her feel more confident about herself. "Well, you always know exactly what to say!" Anya called after her cheerfully.

Saeki smiled and kept walking towards the dining room.

Sesshomaru glanced over to Anya, and gave a small smile. "I can tell them all that you're a mute… if you like." offered Sesshomaru playfully.

Anya mock slapped him sighing, "Pft, like I'd really be able to go back to that now, not after everyone heard me talking today at the Tournament. No, I'll just smile and nod kindly, and speak only when spoken to… much like a child, to be looked at and never heard." she sighed, imagining her youth.

Sesshomaru frowned harder, "You say things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Since when are children seen and never heard?" he asked. "Stop procrastinating, or we'll be late." Sesshomaru insisted impatiently.

Anya sighed and drudged along after him with a childish pout on her face, which disappeared the moment she came into view of the guests assembling in the dining hall and was replaced with a winning smile.

On the whole dinner was uneventful, consisting of a rather normal meal, with many more guests. Anya managed to get out of intricate conversations somehow; most likely due to her practiced facial expressions that advised others that this wasn't a particularly nice time to talk.

The kimono that Anya had been wearing was far more intricate and catching than any other kimono worn that night, but Any wasn't fazed by this small detail. If she was going to be mated to Sesshomaru, then she'd better get used to being given the very best and nothing less, no matter how much she protested.

Lady Shoko and Anya were fast becoming friends, and she was the only person that Anya talked to for more than five minutes that night. She couldn't give one cent about how rude she was being, though; not many demons started a conversation with her to begin with after hearing about what had happened earlier that day. It seemed like Anya was fast gaining a reputation almost as feared as Lord Sesshomaru's, though she held no quarrel with this development.

Sesshomaru remained characteristically stoic for the meal, engaging in conversations only with the other Lords about the developments in their lands and other such nuances. He wasn't the type to divulge any personal information about his life and those in it, preferring to remain emotionally detached from those around him, being instead a quiet observer.

Towards the end of the evening Anya caught herself counting down the hours until she could go back home for a visit and became slightly depressed that there was still 97 hours remaining in her apathetic torture. Stifling a yawn, she blinked her eyes twice resisting the urge to rub away her sleepiness and shook away the shiver that was running down her back.

Sesshomaru looked over at this moment, and decided that he was fast becoming uninterested with the general conversation at the table. Raising his glass he made to propose a toast. "I'd like to address the Guardians, for tomorrow is the day where we find out who among you is the best. Everyone try your best, and may the best demon win." Sesshomaru said and downed the last of his drink. "Now, have a pleasant evening." he said and stood. "Anya my dear, wold you care to join me my love?" he asked and held out his arm for her to take.

Anya looked at him with eyes that saw him as her heaven sent. "Of course." she replied, and delicately removed herself from the room.

"Are you feeling alright? You look pale." asked Sesshomaru as they neared the bedrooms. He stopped for a moment to observe her.

"Yes I'm feeling fine, just home-sick that's all." she lied. In truth she was feeling a bit under the weather, but she was sure it was just fatigue and once she had a good night's sleep she'd feel much better. "It's been two weeks since I've been here, and another two months since I've seen home, I just miss it that's all. I'll be fine in the morning." she explained, plastering a reassuring smile on her face.

Sesshomaru observed her with a dubious expressions, debating whether he should just let it slide or not. He decided to just let her think she'd fooled him this time, and sighed. "No fighting tomorrow, alright?" he smiled.

"Humph, easy for you to say." Anya huffed and crossed her arms. "I'll try, but if one of those stupid whores pisses me off, there's no saying what I'll do. So it really depends on them, but I promise I won't start anything." she smiled angelically.

"Fine, now come and sleep." he said and walked into his room, noticing that the sheets had been replaced, and the blood cleaned from the carpets. Feeling pleased that the smell was gone, he turned back to the door and closed it behind Anya. "Here, I'll help you with that." he said, and promptly helped her out of the kimono.

"Why are these things made so… challenging to get out of?" Anya sighed as she donned her light sleeping yukata and crawled under the warm covers into Sesshomaru's bed.

Sesshomaru observed her with a dull expression. "Why do you think?" he asked and removed his kimono, exposing his bare flesh to the cool air.

Anya shrugged and gave a big yawn exposing her fangs. "I guess so that we can't take them off on our own… but it's not like I'm going to go running around like some tramp." she concluded sleepily, her eyes closed and curled up in the covers.

"Are you cold?" inquired Sesshomaru as he moved in next to her and hugged her close to him.

"Now I am." she mumbled as his cool flesh surrounded her in his embrace. "Don't worry though, you're warming up." she continued.

"Goodnight." Sesshomaru said softly and kissed Anya's temple.

"Mmmm…" Anya replied, but it was all she could manage and found herself asleep in seconds of Sesshomaru's kiss.

"Nnngn…" moaned Anya as the cold air from outside seeped treacherously underneath the covers, killing the cocoon of warmth that had cradled Anya through the night. "Where are you going?" she questioned sleepily as she noticed that Sesshomaru had risen.

"Shhhh, just go back to sleep. It's probably nothing." Sesshomaru hushed as he quickly dressed and grabbed his swords, just incase.

"If you die I'll bring you back and kill you myself." Anya mumbled into the pillow and drew the covers back around her in a nest shape.

Sesshomaru smiled lovingly at his Anya curled up like that and caught a sigh threatening to escape his lips. "Don't worry." he whispered and started off out of the room.

Raishun met Sesshomaru at the end of the hall. "You felt it too?" he asked seriously as he quickly finished tying his hair back in place.

"Mmm." grunted Sesshomaru, the only sign that he'd heard Raishun at all. "It's one mile from here, South." he said, and started off to find whatever it was that had caught his attention. "This had better be important…" he grumbled.

Raishun sighed, "Yeah, I need to sleep if I'm gonna beat every single other Guardian tomorrow." he said and ran off after Sesshomaru towards the disturbance. It probably wasn't much and could have waited until tomorrow, only it was like a pin pricking you constantly in the side, and he couldn't stand it. "You have any ideas as to what this might be?" he asked, shivering as the cool night air whipped through his hair chilling him right to the bone.

Sesshomaru didn't answer that, even though he had a pretty good idea as to what it was, seeing as how his Tenseiga was pulsing. Ignoring the chill that served as a constant reminder of Anya curled up alone in bed. "Damn Tenseiga." he cursed, but kept on anyways.

Raishun heard Sesshomaru curse his sword, and figured that it was a human village. Sighing he wondered why it was their duty to protect the humans, why demons couldn't just leave them alone and make it easier on themselves.

They slowed as they neared the village, and observed as roughly twenty demons attacked the village. Sesshomaru glared at the demons as he walked out into the middle of the tiny village. Without a single word, he sliced one of the strange looking demons into two.

Raishun then jumped into action, running off so fast that he was just a blur. In the night like this, it was impossible to see him at all. In seconds he had the remaining demons gathered in the middle of the village, for Sesshomaru to execute. "They're Lord Aki's demons." snarled Raishun bitterly.

Drawing his Tokijin, Sesshomaru released his Dragon Strike attack and eliminated the demons mercilessly. Turning, he began to walk away, but when Tenseiga pulsed, he paused. Almost sighing, he turned back and drew his Tenseiga, prepared to do its bidding this once, he was feeling charitable.

Watching with confusion, Raishun followed Sesshomaru into a small hut which looked like the equivalent of the village shrine.

Once inside, Sesshomaru was confronted with the sight of a dead priestess. He narrowed his eyes at the priestess coldly, searching for the emissaries of the afterlife that were surrounding her body. He saw them, and his eyes opened slightly wider in shock. There were many more surrounding this girl's body, than had surrounded any other corpse he'd revived with the Tenseiga. Still it was no challenge for him, and he proceeded to cut them down. The priestess immediately opened her eyes and stared at him with a level expression.

She sat up and stared at his expressionless face, seeming deep in thought. Finally she spoke, "Why did you save me?" she asked.

Sesshomaru frowned, her eyes looked so familiar, but at the moment he couldn't quite place them. Becoming bored with the situation, he turned and began walking back to his castle.

Raishun stared at the priestess, noticing how familiar the eyes looked, and was unable to conclude as to where from. "Have a nice life!" he encouraged, and swiftly exited the hut after Sesshomaru. "Do you know her?" he asked curious as to why his Lord just saved a human's life.

"No." replied Sesshomaru. "Tenseiga wanted to save her, and every time Tenseiga has wanted to save someone, it has always been to my advantage to comply." he continued.

"She looked really familiar though… well… her eyes did anyways." said Raishun in thought. He was presently running through every person he knew, trying to place them.

"Anya." said Sesshomaru suddenly. "They were Anya's eyes." In that moment, he realized that by saving that priestess, he'd saved Anya's life and thanked the Tenseiga. Letting out a sigh of relief, he broke into a swift run, eager to get home and back to Anya.

Anya sat up suddenly and stared intently at her hands, they were translucent! She momentarily panicked, stifling a startled cry and taking deep reassuring breaths. Her eyes fell upon her hands once again, watching as they solidified again right before her eyes. Relief flooded through her instantly, before she started to wonder what on earth had just happened?

It was fifteen minutes before she lifted her eyes from her hand, and stared startled at Sesshomaru. "I was see-through." she stated, hoping that Sesshomaru could shed some light on the recent events.

"Tenseiga just revived one of your ancestors." he said as he drew near and took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips he kissed it tenderly. "You're safe now." he told her and sat down beside her slipping his arm around her and holding her close.

"What was it?" she asked, inquiring about why he'd gone off previously.

"Lord Aki's demons were attacking the village where one of your ancestors was Priestess." he told her.

Anya's posture suddenly tensed as a dreadful thought hit her. "You don't think he knows that I'm from the future do you?" she whispered darkly. "If he does… " she trailed off, not being able to describe the magnitude of her thoughts to Sesshomaru. "This would be why travelling through time is a very bad idea! If even one of the people remotely linked to my bloodline died… It's impossible to determine how many people that involves!" she trembled. "Please Kami let it be a fluke! Just a fluke, please!" she whispered.

Sesshomaru's eyes hardened intensely. There was no way he could protect her, if it was true that it was known that she was from the future. There were just too many humans, especially when they live such short lives.

"Hmm, no wait. If you think about it, wouldn't I have vanished the moment I stepped foot in this time, since it would have happened in my past… ugh, this is confusing. Lets just forget about it, there's no way he could know, because I'm still here… Well I'm pretty sure, so that's what we're going to go with… m'kay?" smiled Anya and hugged Sesshomaru tightly. "Besides, I'm tired, and you're tired, so lets both go back to sleep." suggested Anya as she rubbed an eye.

"You're right, it was probably just a coincidence." agreed Sesshomaru and cuddled up with Anya under the covers once again breathing in her sweet scent, and dozed off into peaceful slumber.

Morning on the second day of the Tournament came swiftly, much too swiftly for Anya's liking, she made this evident when she seriously protested getting up and shook her fist at the light of the sun, trying to curse it into a ten hour banishment, albeit unsuccessfully.

Sesshomaru glanced at her actions, and couldn't help but let out a slight huff of laughter at how adorable she was. "I'll let you skip breakfast this morning, if you're really that tired." he offered graciously.

"Go back down sun! It's not morning yet! Are you stupid or something?" she mumbled and turned her back to the sun, and continued dozing.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow questioningly at her strange expressions. "I'll come back and wake you once the Tournament begins." he said, but his words fell upon deaf ears whose hearing was tuned to the land of Anya's imagination. With a smile, he bent over her and smoothed a strand of hair from her cheek, and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. "I love you Anya." he whispered and made his way down to breakfast, all the while thinking of a good enough excuse should anyone ask where she is. Finally he decided that he'd just say that she felt like sleeping in, there was nothing wrong with that afterall.

Towards evening, the end of the Tournament for the Guardians came around, and to no surprise, it was Kaito and Raishun facing off in the finals. Sesshomaru was one muscle short of a triumphant smirk, while Anya had laughed rather evilly when both Kaito and Raishun had defeated their opponents in the semi-finals. She shot a triumphant glance over to the other Lords at the Tournament. She could see the defeated glare in Lord Aki's face and smirked, recalling what had happened last night. The thing was that he didn't know that she knew what he'd done, and that was probably a good thing too, otherwise he just might start trying to kill her if he wasn't already. Glancing over to her mate upon whose arm she was presently being held, she smiled triumphantly.

"You're the best oh yeah!" Anya cheered gleefully with a joyful laugh.

Sesshomaru caught her up in his arms and kissed her. "You've got to stop being so cute, I just can't stop myself!" he whispered seductively in her ear, pleased when he felt the heat radiating from her face.

Anya was blushing profusely, amazed at how nervous Sesshomaru could make her feel at times. He was obviously well educated at how to be in a relationship, but this was really her first real relationship, and she was still very new at this. She was nervous that he could sense her want of him, and embarrassed that she wasn't able to control it.

Sesshomaru breathed deeply as her scent spiked, and smirked at her. "Sorry." he whispered sheepishly, making the scent even stronger.

"Uhh, that's okay. . . is it getting a bit stuffy in here? I think I'm going to just get a bit of air." she mumbled nervously and exited quickly.

Sesshomaru followed her so that he could protect her if need be. "Anya." he called, making her turn around. He grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner of the dojo surreptitiously. Pressing her back against the side of the building he kissed her passionately, and found himself completely taken by her sweet scent.

An intruding cough interrupted their private moment sharply, and Sesshomaru quickly drew away from Anya, turning around to see who had interrupted them. It was Lord Ryou, smiling. "Ahh, to be young and in love…" he sighed wistfully.

"Can we help you Lord Ryou?" asked Anya, a little snottily but it didn't seem like he picked-up on it. Sesshomaru sent a warning glance in her direction, but she ignored it, and continued displaying the displeasure on her face.

"Congratulations on winning the match Sesshomaru, though, it was hardly a surprise to tell you the truth." he smiled, disregarding Anya's rude expression, and her altogether.

"Thank-you, Ryou." Sesshomaru smiled, unknowingly stepping between him and Anya, hiding the scent of her arousal from him.

Ryou smiled, "Just don't expect me to be a pushover just because I'm older now than I was before." he warned.

Sesshomaru smirked, "We'll see." he replied.

Ryou smiled and turned to leave, never giving Anya a passing thought, otherwise Sesshomaru might have started the match between them a day early.

Once Ryou was out of sight, the tension in Sesshomaru's shoulders eased away, and his guard dropped and he turned back to Anya's confused eyes.

"Why were you so tense?" she asked with a concerned tone.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." he replied nonchalant, and cupped her face with his hands, placing a sweet kiss on her already kiss-swollen lips. "We'd better get back to the tournament or else we'll miss the ceremony." he suggested, now that she'd calmed down enough.

"Oh, yeah… I'd forgotten." she mumbled.

Sesshomaru smirked, "Yes, I seem to have that effect around you…" he chuckled and took her hand in his and they walked back to everyone else.

Kaito walked up to them with a big grin on his face. He was the happiest that Anya had ever seen him. "Did you see that? I totally schooled that loser!" he beamed at Anya.

She was smiling just as ridiculously as he was, and hugged him tightly. "You were awesome!" she laughed, noticing with some confusion how Sesshomaru stiffened when she did that. She immediately returned to his side, and he seemed to calm down slightly.

"Thanks!" he replied with a gracious smile. He spotted Saeki over Anya's shoulder, and excused himself politely, once Sesshomaru had congratulated him. He made his way to Saeki and flashed her a winning smile and a devilish smile spread across his face, causing a slight blush to color her cheeks.

"Congratulations!" she smiled. She was still very sore from loosing against the guardian that Kaito had defeated.

Kaito glanced down her arms at all the scrapes and blood, an unreadable expression flashed across his face, before returning unheeded to the depths from whence it had come. "Are you alright? You look like you need lots of love and attention right now…" he mumbled quietly, so he wouldn't be overheard.

Saeki looked up at him sharply, "Kaito, you know as well as I do that we can't…" she began. Pain showing in her eyes.

Kaito sighed, "I know, but when I agreed to become a Guardian, I didn't know you… I didn't know it was going to be so hard to be with you all the time, but never allowed to actually be with you. I love you Saeki, and I know you do too." he continued, guiding her away from everyone.

A tear fell from Saeki's eye, "Just don't… Kaito… it's forbidden! Would you sacrifice your life for this? Would you sacrifice mine? We can't give into our weaknesses, I know it isn't fair, but when we accepted this position, we knew the sacrifices that we'd have to make! You can't just throw all that away, I'm not going to let you throw your life away for me!" she cried, turning away from Kaito quickly so that he wouldn't see any more of her tears, and ran away from him. She couldn't keep doing this to herself, for so long she'd been able to hide her feelings for him, but now it was too hard, and her feelings for him had grown so much that she just couldn't hold them all in any longer. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she let her feelings out all at once. Still, she didn't regret becoming a Guardian, if she hadn't, she would have never met Kaito, and she didn't think that she would be able to live now without him, even if they could never actually be together… The only thing worse than never being able to be with him, was having to be without him at all, she wouldn't be able to bear it at all. All she had to figure out was how she was going to be able to deal with all these emotions every time she saw him…

That evening's dinner was rather controversial, on one side, Lord Ryou and Lady Shoko were both very happy; perhaps the fact that they had a very good relationship with the West had much to add to that general feeling; and on the other side, Lord Aki and Lady Karen were scowling, and looking very disgruntled indeed. The Lord and Lady of the East, Karasu and Umi respectively, seemed much the same as always, personally, Anya felt very comfortable around them, because they never made any large gestures, and everything they did was predictable. This was good if they had a lot of friends and few enemies, which Anya suspected was the case, but with everything happening with the jewel, and Naraku, she seriously doubted that things would remain all peaceful for much longer. She made a mental note to tell Sesshomaru about her concerns later when it was just them.

Another thing had been bugging her all of a sudden… it was Saeki, she didn't seem like herself. At first she'd just thought that it was her disappointment about loosing her match, but then, it seemed to go on for longer than it would have taken to mend her pride at being defeated. She could sense that there was something seriously bothering her, and made another note to ask her about it later. She sighed, just one more day, and then this stupid tournament would be over, and she could go and visit home again. God knew she was feeling majorly homesick, though, technically this was her home now, for she was sure that she'd be coming back here perhaps a week later. Then it was back to chasing around for the jewel, unless some other pressing matter arose at the castle, then she had no doubt that she'd have to stay here for a while longer. She was just waiting for a time when the world wasn't hanging in the balance.

Sesshomaru could sense the tension filling the room, especially between Saeki and Kaito, and wondered briefly if he should talk to them about the vows they'd taken before they'd become Guardians… or if he should modify the rule… Surely he was strong enough to look after himself and Anya and the Guardians were more for show now than before, when he'd been young… He almost sighed, but caught himself just in time, causing a slight scowl to hide his almost-sigh. Lord Aki was behaving ridiculously, even for one whose Guardians had lost the tournament, if he was in such a position, he at least had the decorum to act reasonably. Lord Aki was just scowling at everyone, and snapping at the servants, out of spite. Sesshomaru was looking forward to legally damaging him tomorrow, when the Lords fought to see who was the strongest. Sesshomaru already knew who it would be though, having won the tournament for the past 99 years, this would make his 100th year as champion. On top of everything, this year he had a mate to celebrate his victory with, which was just an added bonus. He couldn't wait to see Anya's gleeful face when he was declared the winner. These thoughts placed him in a much better mood and he smiled down at Anya who was presently yawning, showing her pointy teeth to the whole room. Sesshomaru almost laughed, but caught himself again, in a cough… which sounded more like a choke.

Anya glanced up startled at her mate, and smiled when she realized that he'd choked back a laugh. "I'm full Sesshomaru, I think I'm going to get an early night, my head's hurting just a bit tonight anyways… all that cheering and screaming today really took a bit of getting used to. These ears are still pretty new you know…" she mumbled, and excused herself discretely.

"I'll be up in a bit love. Goodnight." whispered Sesshomaru, who was looking a little sleepy himself.

"Don't be too long, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow afterall! 'A good sleep is essential to pique concentration in the heat of battle!'" she said, quoting the words her Grandfather had spoken to her like a mantra before every tournament fight that she'd participated in back in her time.

Sesshomaru smiled and kissed her forehead wishing her a good sleep, and she got up and left the dining hall and progressed to her room for the night.


	11. The Tournament: Part 3

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Thank you all for waiting so long for this, and I'm so sorry that it took forever to update, but you know, I'm graduating this year so I need to keep my marks up to get into Science Honors. But as I say this I realize it is no excuse, and so I made this chapter really long... AND it contains a lemon, so I'll warn you when and where it is.

**The Tournament Part Three**

Anya's eyes were being bombarded with the harsh rays of the morning sun, as Sesshomaru had rather impolitely snatched back the curtains letting in the dreaded light. "Why do you do this to me every morning?" she moaned, and promptly proceeded to cover her face with the covers. Actually, she was sort of relieved, because today was the final day of the tournament, which meant that tomorrow she could relax and just look after herself, instead of trying to please everyone around her.

"You ask that every morning." commented Sesshomaru with a raised eyebrow as he proceeded to dress himself in his tournament outfit.

"Yes, and yet here we are again, with the whole 'waking up' thing going. Perhaps we should go over this lesson again. Light hurts my eyes, it never used to before… I was a morning person before…" she moaned, finally dragging herself out of the covers and moving towards the dresser, where she'd neatly folded her outfit for today. It consisted of a more formal looking gi, in the colors white, red, purple and yellow. It was much like Sesshomaru's everyday clothes, though better suited for a female figure.

Sesshomaru glanced over to her, feeling a sense of pride at seeing his colors displayed on her. "Hmmm, you should dress like that more often." he whispered seductively.

"Hey! Hands off! I'm only half dressed! If you wanted to do that, then you should have told me to hold off on the whole 'dressing' thing. That window of opportunity ended with the tying of the pants." she giggled as Sesshomaru's hands moved across the exposed flesh of her back.

"I don't think so…" he murmured as he placed caresses down her neck and arm.

Anya giggled at the sensation, she was very ticklish on her neck. "Well… no, come on Sesshou, we need to get dressed!" she urged, but was finding it harder and harder to resist his advances.

He was pushing her backwards to the bed, and untying her freshly tied pants.

Anya found herself unable to refuse his advances, there was something about the way he smelled whenever she touched his exposed flesh that sent chills down her spine. This whole side to passion was all new to her, she felt a little at odds when it came to making love to Sesshomaru. He was so experienced, it made her feel so young and naive compared to his experience.

Sesshomaru felt her hesitation as her delicate hands moved lightly over his flesh, giving him goose bumps wherever her hands touched. Even though they had made love before, she still seemed so innocent, and he loved the way that tasted. He was the only one to have ever touched her so intimately, he liked that a lot more than he had though he would.

Anya was losing herself in the sensations he was arousing within her. She was beginning to completely forget where they were, and where they were supposed to be going.

Sesshomaru smirked at how her flesh was becoming so responsive, and the moment he heard a soft gasp of pleasure escape her lips, he stopped. "We should really get going, or we're going to be late. I'll meet you downstairs my love." he whispered into her ear and left her breathing heavily on his bed.

Once he was gone Anya moaned in need, "Oh god I'm going to get him back for that." She couldn't believe he'd just built up all those emotions in her and then just left her hanging there, needing release so that it hurt. "He's so cruel." she whimpered.

Curling up into a ball on the bed, she waited until her body had calmed down and then redressed. She left the room slightly flustered, but most definitely awake.

When she entered the dining hall, breakfast was well under way, though she noticed that she wasn't the only one late. Truthfully she didn't care that she was late at all, it was Sesshomaru's fault that she was late anyway. She held herself regally, looking well the part of a Lady, Sesshomaru felt a swell of pride as she flounced over to him.

He could tell that she was slightly angry with him, but that didn't stop him from eliciting a small tingly smile from her kiss-swollen lips. He couldn't help but let his eyes travel her form as she made her way over to him and sat beside him, seductively.

Anya was trying her best to secretly make Sesshomaru aroused, without anyone else seeing it. She could see that it was working, because she felt his lusty eyes on her at her every movement. She was sitting directly beside Sesshomaru, so it wasn't hard to make him want her, especially after what he'd just been doing to her before breakfast.

Sesshomaru could see amusement in her innocent eyes, and he realized that she had been trying to get back at him and smiled deviously at her, catching her eyes, and turning the tides of her onslaught.

Anya wisely decided to let him win once he had caught on to her little game besides, she knew she wasn't going to win against him, he was far too experienced, and she was but a novice in this game.

Sesshomaru was ruthless when it came to fighting, so it was natural that it came down to him in the finals, though surprisingly he was up against Lord Ryou. Together they were the greatest power on the earth. But now was the time to see who out of all the lands was the strongest, and then would ultimately hold the most power. Anya had become so comfortable with Aunty Shoko, that if Lord Ryou, or rather, Uncle Ryou won, it wouldn't bother her one bit, and she was sure that it wouldn't bother Sesshomaru. Though, the fact that she knew pretty well what Sesshomaru was capable of, because she knew he was far more powerful than herself, made her come to the conclusion that it was most likely going to be Sesshomaru who was the strongest. He had afterall won for the past four tournaments.

Anya smiled at Sesshomaru when he happened to glance her way. In his previous match he'd been up against Lord Aki, and had definitely beaten him good, wasting no time at all and Anya couldn't help thinking that this was his way of getting revenge for what had almost happened to Anya's ancestor.

Lord Ryou and Lord Sesshomaru faced off in the ring, for this match no weapons were allowed, afterall it was a test of strength and not of swordsmanship. Anya watched with anticipation as Sesshomaru threw kicks and punches at Ryou, who simply dodged them easily. Sesshomaru had been Lord Ryou's student, back when he was learning the various forms of fighting. He had already mastered everything his father had to teach him, and so he was sent to Lord Ryou to train under him. Anya could tell that the two were just warming up when the tables switched and Sesshomaru became the one on the receiving end of the kicks and punches, easily dodging them also. She could tell that this was going to be the most entertaining match she had ever witnessed and was watching with bated breath, not wanting to miss the first crucial hit.

After having warmed up enough to satisfy eachother, the started to get intense. Sesshomaru, to Anya's joy, landed the first punch which knocked Ryou across the room. Since the fight was strictly fists and legs, there weren't many inventive moves like what happened out in the battlefield, but Anya was impressed nonetheless and was very proud of her mate when he came out the victor.

Anya ran up to her Sesshomaru once he was declared the winner, and hugged him gently, for fear that he might be hurt. He shocked her by pulling her in tight to his chest, and she landed with a thud against his chest. She could hear his heart beating wildly from the battle, and felt his powerful muscles through his light fighting gi. Suddenly, she became eager to get him back to their room and take that gi off of him, but she kept control of herself. "Congratulations! How does it feel to know that there's nobody here that can defeat you? Of course that excludes yours truly." she asked teasingly as he gave her a curious look.

"You know if you wanted to fight me that badly you could have just said so. I'm good for another round, it won't take me long to defeat you and then you can get over your conniptions of who is stronger." taunted Sesshomaru. He smiled as he anger spiked, finding it amusing how he could get such a rise from her.

"Very well Sesshomaru, I challenge you to a battle. Anything goes, no rules, and you had better not hold back on me!" she grinned. "And don't think you've seen the extent of my fighting capabilities with that little glimpse I gave you back when we first fought. You ain't seen nothing yet!" she retaliated.

Sesshomaru smirked, "No rules, are you sure you can handle me without a handicap?" he taunted her further, getting her truly riled and ready for a fight. He found her strangely erotic right now, and wasn't sure what would happen once he had proven his dominance over her.

Anya grinned maliciously, showing a single fang from the corner of her mouth, which made her look slightly childish in a grown up sort of way. "This is pay back for this morning you monster." she growled lowly so that only he could hear her. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in surprise, then returned to normal, he found her voice oddly sensual for the words.

Walking onto the main mat, Anya took you her place at one end of the dojo, while Sesshomaru took his place at the other side. The two bowed to eachother, Anya much lower that Sesshomaru had, simply because she had so much respect for his status. The match was declared and Sesshomaru pounced, being easily evaded as Anya jumped high in the air overtop of him doing a back-flip and landing behind him faster than he would have expected from her. She swirled lowly attempting to sweep his legs out from underneath him but he jumped over her and angled a punch at her abdomen.

Anya blocked the punch easily, feigning with her other arm to punch him but simultaneously bringing her leg around to kick him in the side, both of which he blocked easily and they flew apart to other sides of the dojo again.

"Enough of a warm up my love?" asked Sesshomaru fleetingly.

"Yeah I'm good. You ready?" she asked grinning. Flying at him, she darted into the air and disappeared, reappearing in front of him as she kneed him in the stomach, smirking as her knee collided with his hard abdomen. It couldn't have done much damage, for she hadn't put any force behind it, she just wanted to give him a taste of her speed. "Gotcha." she whispered seductively before darting away again.

The Guardians watched on in awe of their Lady. "Did you know she could do that Saeki?" asked Raishun stunned.

Saeki couldn't speak. She had been training with Anya-chan for almost the whole week now, and she'd never been privy to this little maneuver. Saeki shook her head no and remained awestruck.

Sesshomaru smirked, he decided to let her have her fun for a while before he defeated her. He was enjoying her antics. He couldn't see her she was moving so fast, so he closed his eyes and waited for her scent, or the movement of the air to alert him to her attack.

She was aiming a roundhouse kick to his shoulder, when to her surprise he caught her ankle with his hand. In order to get her kick in, she slammed the other foot into his shoulder blade at the back, sending him into a forward flip, which he executed, and remained standing.

Yes. She was good, his little feisty mate, very good, but not good enough to defeat him. He had made a good choice when choosing her as a mate. He decided that he would give her a taste of his power, and the moment she landed from her kick he had her off her feet, her back on the ground, hands held high above her hear pinned on the ground, and his legs had immobilized hers.

Anya found herself unable to move, pinned beneath him. She ceased her struggling and peered up into his eyes, tinged slightly red. She raised her chin, baring her neck in submission, and that was the end of the match.

He gazed down on her pinned beneath him, revealing her neck to him completely trusting of him. Her skin covered in a sheen of sweat was arousing him greatly, the flush of her heated flesh further increasing his arousal. Her scent was intoxicating, and the fact that he was breathing heavily from the fight filled him further with her scent. He glanced down to notice that her gi had come open sightly at the chest, and he perceived the curve of her breast, right down to the cleavage.

Anya raised her eyes to his, "You may have won the match Sesshomaru, but I got what I wanted." she whispered seductively in his ear.

His hold on her legs had weakened and she quickly took advantage of this to flip them around so that she was on top, and promptly got up and walked off back to the castle, smirking at the memory of her breathless Sesshomaru pinning her to the ground struggling with his inner demon, and sighed triumphantly.

She flounced into her bedroom to change out of her sweaty clothes, and to take a bath, but when she got there, she was caught by Sesshomaru to grabbed her and pinned her under him on her bed. Smirking Anya gazed up at him with lazy eyes. "Are you upset with me Sesshomaru?" she asked poignantly.

Sesshomaru returned her gaze with passionate lust-filled eyes that made her breath hitch in her throat and her heart pound. "Do you wish for me to apologize for this morning?" he asked.

Anya's eyes gleamed, "Yes, you don't know how much pain I was in after you left you beast. I needed you so much I couldn't move." she breathed.

"Yes, but this way is much more interesting isn't it? This morning you were nervous, apprehensive, yet now, you want it as much as I do, and that is what I was after." he whispered into the nape of her neck, tickling her flesh and making the tiny hairs stand on end. "And when you need it, it's so much more enjoyable. I'm going to take you places that you've never even dreamed about before. When I'm finished with you, you won't even remember your name."

LEMON

Those words were enough for Anya's inexperienced body, and she was sure if he kept on like that he wouldn't even need to touch her for her to explode. She felt the knot in her stomach tightening as Sesshomaru brought his hand down her arm, caressing her chest through her clothing. His hand continued further downwards until it reached the spot on her stomach from which the knot was tightening.

Her breathing was coming in pants, and he was hardly able to contain himself. He left her clothing on for the moment being, and kissed down her neck, and her chest where her shirt was exposing her flesh, licking the curves of her breasts slowly, deliberately, then blew on them sending chills down her flesh. He marveled at the way her skin prickled to his touch. He undid the ties at each side of her top, exposing her entire front to him. Her creamy white skin glistened with sweat from the battle, and now the emotions she was experiencing. He let his hands roam her front, fascinated by her breasts. He loved the feel of her writing beneath him, new to these sensations, overwhelmed by the power of them. Cupping one breast he massaged it delicately, while the other received the attentions of his mouth.

Anya cried out at the contact of his mouth and her breast, she was so overwhelmed by the sensations that she instinctively pushed Sesshomaru away from her. But at the loss of his contact she whined.

Sesshomaru smirked, she was certainly inexperienced, so innocent, he loved her like that. She was so pure. "No?" he asked.

"No... yes, keep going. I'm sorry I was just surprised." she panted, blushing heatedly.

"Don't be afraid, I'm going to take very good care of you Anya. I will give you everything you need and more." he murmured and resumed his attack on her breast. This time, Anya arched her back into him instead of pushing him away, and cried out in need.

"No... it hurts... my stomach." she panted.

Sesshomaru grinned and trailed his kisses lower, to her abdomen, just above her pants. He slowly undid them, as his tongue explored her navel, making her cry out and whimper beneath him.

His kisses trailed lower as he pulled her pants down her legs, gathering her strange undergarments as he went. The lower his kisses traveled, the more she whimpered.

"N-no, not there, please." she was begging, and Sesshomaru stopped what he was doing, making Anya cry, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sess, make it go away, it's so painful." she managed through pants, and gasps.

With her permission again, his mouth closed over her opening. He flicked his tongue inside her, tasting her sweet insides and he knew that she was going to be singing soon as he felt her buck against his mouth. He held her pelvis firmly down on the bed as he heard her breathing increase, and her moans heighten.

She shuddered and a loud cry escaped her lips as the pressure in her abdomen was released. Sesshomaru tasted her sweet juices and was sent into heaven at the taste and smell of her. He couldn't believe he'd waited this long to do this to her. The first time had been to make her his mate, and she had not been ready for the full emotions and sensations that he knew he could rouse in her.

He knelt over her and looked down at her. "What is your name?" he asked smirking.

Her eyes, startled that she couldn't remember, met his. After a moment she replied, "I'm yours."

Sesshomaru grinned, "Yes, you are mine, my Anya. My sweet innocent Anya." he replied.

"Of course I'm Anya. Sesshomaru. What did you do to me? I want to cry because it's over." she breathed.

"Oh it's far from over Anya. This is only the beginning. It's never over." he assured her darkly. He removed his clothing, and positioned his manhood over her opening. Thumbing her nub, he sent her back into the convulsions and swiftly entered her.

This she had done with him before, but only once before, and it hadn't been this sensational. Slowly he started to move within her, in and out with rhythmical movements, causing the pressure in her abdomen to grow again, though this time she knew what it was and wasn't afraid of it anymore. This time she wanted it badly.

Each time he entered her, it seemed like he got closer and closer to the pressure in her stomach and each time she wanted him to touch it. Every time he pulled out the pressure grew until she couldn't believe how strong it was. This was way worse than the first time, but she new that at the end it would be so much stronger of a release and that was what she wanted.

Finally he impaled himself in her so far that he hit her tiny bundle of nerves and drowned her cries with his mouth over hers. They came together, moaning into eachother. Her canal tightened around him, sending his seed into her.

Anya was in ecstacy, she could feel the spasms of her muscles, and Sesshomaru inside her.

He collapsed on top of her exhausted from their love making. Rolling her onto her side, he felt her wrap her legs around his, with him still inside her, and fell asleep.

Sesshomaru gazed over her body, entwined in his. He couldn't tell where she ended and he began they were so close. Slowly he dozed off, breathing deeply her scent, calming him to the core.

OVER

Sesshomaru awoke roughly two hours later in order to begin getting ready for the festive dinner and ball afterwards. He remembered that he hadn't taught Anya to dance, but figured that it was a small matter, he always swept her off her feet anyways, and she was so graceful that she would probably look like an expert. He slowly disentangled himself from her and in doing so making her moan at the loss of him inside her. He smiled at her innocence, and dressed himself quietly. Caressing her hair before he made his way to the hot springs to have his bath before Anya, so that she could bathe in peace. Once finished, he dried off and proceeded to his chambers where his formal robes were kept. Glancing at his bed, which for the past week almost had not been slept in at all. He wondered at the necessity of his bed, since he usually slept with Anya. He sat down on his bed, feeling the softness of it under his hand, and decided that he liked it better than Anya's bed, and from now on they would be sleeping in here. Besides, his was a bigger bed.

Standing, he made his way over to his wardrobe, and flung the doors wide. There were two kimono one for a male and one for a female. They were of the same design, but different such that they complimented eachother. While on their own they were beautiful, together they were radiant. The four elements were depicted in each kimono, and they were really quite stunning. Sesshomaru removed Anya's kimono from the wardrobe, and hearing the door to the hot springs close decided to hang it in front of her full length mirror so that when she went to observe herself as he knew she still did, trying to familiarize herself with her changed appearance, she would see the kimono.

Anya sighed in pleasure as the hot water cascaded over her frozen flesh. Once Sesshomaru had left her, she had suddenly become very cold, even though he'd covered her with her blanket, she just could never be as warm alone as she was when she was with him. Unless of course she was wearing one of her stuffy oven-like kimonos that Sesshomaru made her wear.

Bathing thoroughly, making sure that her hair felt completely free of grease before she left the soapy bath, and feeling squeaky clean once again, Anya exited the bath. Wandering over to Sesshomaru's room, which she knew was where the good kimonos were kept, she fastened her towel robe tightly in place.

Opening the slightly ajar door widely and walking in unannounced she came face to face with a naked Sesshomaru in the middle of changing. Anya's face went red and she turned her back, mumbling an apology and quickly exiting his room back to hers in a hurry.

Sesshomaru looked after her startled slightly, bemused by her modesty. Remembering their previous activities, and yet here she is still afraid of his body. She would learn in time though.

As Anya reached her bedroom, she stopped, "Wait why am I leaving?" she asked herself and turned around going back to Sesshomaru's room. "I'm allowed to be here." she stated upon entering.

Sesshomaru had pulled on the silky kimono pants and was just tying them when she entered for the second time. Looking over his shoulder at her he nodded. "Yes, you are." he agreed. "Your sense of modesty astounds even me, especially after what we just did." he eyed her hungrily.

Anya giggled nervously at the way he was looking at her and averted her eyes. "That's a nice outfit, it looks very good on you." she commented. "You'll be the belle of the ball!" she giggled. "Nobody will be able to compare with you." she smiled.

"Hm, I suppose you've not seen your kimono yet then have you?" he asked with a small glint in his eye. "I hung it on your mirror." He informed her, finding it amusing how she jumped up gleefully and ran back to her room. He heard her gasp of surprise and chuckled.

Anya ran back in with the kimono, and a giant smile on her face. "Sesshomaru! I love it! It's just like yours! We'll be twins!" She exclaimed. She darted back to her room, and began dressing.

She was in her undergarments and was just fastening her bra when Sesshomaru entered to help her with tying the obi. He eyed her strangely, wondering why she was restraining herself so.

Anya turned around, adjusting her straps so that she was comfortable, and started when she saw Sesshomaru watching her. "What?" She asked when she saw him eyeing her bra. "I don't want them to pop out and embarrass me in front of everyone. Have you seen the neckline of this kimono? Not to say I don't love it, but it just needs a few modern touches." Anya smiled.

Sesshomaru still didn't understand what it did, other than to make it harder for him to touch her. "It looks quite complicated to undo." He stated frowning.

Anya smiled, "That's the point! It's so perverts can't feel me up!" She laughed jokingly.

"If anyone even tried, I'd rip their hands off and shove it down their throat." He replied heatedly.

Laughing Anya turned to her mirror. "Actually, the purpose is mainly support, and to keep everything in place so that nothing will pop out at inopportune moments." She told him seriously. Grabbing the first layer of the kimono, she put it on and fastened it in place securely. Then the second, and finally the outer layer, which she then needed Sesshomaru to tie the obi for her.

He tied it expertly as always, though, this time he used a more eloquent bow that was much better suited for a formal event. "There you are my love, all dressed and ready for the ball." He took his hand in hers and they exited the room, heading down to dinner, after which the Tournament danse was held in the same room.

Saeki pushed Kaito away from her urgently. "No, we can't." She breathed. "Rules are there for a reason, and the more we see eachother, the harder it will be to stop. Don't you understand Kaito? We can't be together."

Kaito looked at her with fury. "So then that's just it, you aren't even willing to try?" he demanded heatedly.

Saeki closed her eyes helplessly, "Kaito, listen to me. We're going to be found out, Raishun already suspects us, and I just don't want it to be harder than it needs to be when we are eventually separated." she explained to him.

"I don't care if we're found out Saeki! You're worth that risk!" he insisted.

Saeki hardened herself for what she was about to do. "No, Kaito I'm not worth that risk, and neither are you. As of right now, we have no relationship other than the fact that we work together. Goodbye." she said and walked off before Kaito could say another word of protest. Tears stung her eyes as she walked away, and more than anything she wanted to run back to his arms and tell him she was sorry, that she was just being weak and that he was worth it, but she couldn't bring herself to, she knew that this was for the best. The more they saw eachother, the harder it would be to say goodbye, and the more her attention was occupied with thoughts of Kaito was putting her Lady Anya in danger. If it came down to a choice between saving Anya and saving Kaito, she had to choose Anya. She knew that if she and Kaito gave in to their weaknesses, it would construe theit judgement. There were very important rules, and no matter what circumstances arrise, they are there for a reason and cannot be just pushed aside when the time is convenient. This was just something that she would have to live with, or both she and Kaito would have to quit being Guardians, and that was something she couldn't do.

The dining hall was swimming with all the Lords, Ladies and their families and attendants. It looked like a day at the zoo to Anya, who was still unaccustomed to all this hype. She saw Auntie Shoko and Lord Ryou were sitting at the table already, while many others were around mingling before the actual dinner was served. While she desperately wanted to go and chat with Lady Shoko, who happened to be her only pleasant acquaintance during this whole tournament, she decided to stay by Sesshomaru's side throughout the evening, if only for the sole reason of protecting him from the masses of loose women vying for his attentions.

"Everyone here hates me Sesshomaru." Anya complained, aware of being the butt end of every dirty look in the whole room. "Perhaps I should have worn something a little more plain." she mumbled self-consciously.

"Nonesense." replied Sesshomaru. "I don't hate you." he stated simply. "And that dress is hardly worthy of you my Queen, you deserve far better."

"Oh my dashing and debonair King, I know how much you love me, I was referring to everyone else sadly. They're all glaring at me!" she spoke light-heartedly, but really she was feeling a bit out of sorts.

"Disregard them, they are simply jealous that you are so much better than they are, for they could never catch my attention quite as you have done so my dear." Sesshomaru smiled, drawing her hand up to his mouth and kissing it gently. "Shall we to the table?" he asked suavely.

Anya smiled up at him entranced. He always managed to stirr the most turbulent feeling inside her at even the simplest gesture. She was sure that she'd go mad by the end of the evening if it weren't for Sesshomaru by her side constantly keeping her relaxed. "Oh yes, that's good. I'm famished." she replied.

Once Sesshomaru and Anya had sat down, everyone else got the idea that dinner was ready to be served, and followed suit, and soon dinner was brought out. Much to Anya's delight, there were dishes that not only did she enjoy, but were familiar to her, she could have jumped for joy right then, but instead just served herself her normal sized portions, and ate hapily.

Sesshomaru could tell that she was pleased, yet still she only ate about half the amount that everyone else served themselves. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well. He was just about to lean in and ask her if she was quite well, when he noticed that she was having small portions of everything at a time, and was trying not to waste food. Such strange customs he found endearing in her. Leaning in close, he whispered "How do you like the menu this evening?"

"I love it! It's just like the food we eat back home, obviously a lot better, but similar in taste. Thank-you so much." she whispered back smiling.

"Just think, as soon as all this is over you will get to revisit your own home, and you can introduce me to your family, and their food." he whispered.

"I was thinking about that, and I'm not sure if I want you to meet my mother. She doesn't like me much at all, so perhaps we should just stay here. I was kind-of kicked out anyways so I doubt my mother would even care where I am and what I'm doing, and I'm not really that homesick, this is the first 'home' I've ever had. So why don't we just stay here instead?" she shrugged, as though it didn't matter much anymore.

Sesshomaru frowned, "Kicked out?" he couldn't quite grasp the meaning of her informalities and sayings, for they were from another period in time. "Your mother kicked you?"

Anya thought for a moment. "Well, no she didn't kick me, rather, beat me up and threw me out of the house. But the meaning is still the same, she didn't want me, and I didn't want to stay there a day longer than was necessary. The only thing I regret is that I'll have to drop out of school, and I won't get my degree, or go to university like my father had always wanted me to do." she sighed regretfully.

"Still I think I should visit this mother of yours and set her straight about a few things. Then we can leave, but I think it's important for you to do this." Sesshomaru argued.

Anya wasn't ready to relent just yet, "How about we talk about it again in the morning, when I'm less tired. Remember, I still have a whole night of dancing left to do, and everytime I think of my mother it's exhausting." she laughed and returned to her meal.

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly, "Alright, we'll talk in the morning." he conceeded, though truthfully he was still unsure about the way she talked about her mother. He was now even more interested in going to Anya's home he couldn't imagine how she must have been treated at her home, to say that this is the first home she'd ever had. Sesshomaru eyed his mate, taking a gulp of sake, perhaps she was just becoming intoxicated.

"Sesshomaru? This tastes very strong, what is it?" she asked holding out her cup.

He would have rolled his eyes, had he not been in full view of the others at the table. "Sake" he replied pointedly. "Why have you been drinking it if you didn't know what it was?" he asked.

Anya shrugged and giggled "It tasted good." she smiled.

Sesshomaru eyed her warily. "How many have you had?" he asked her, reaching over and delicately taking the cup out of her hand, and downing it just to keep ehr from drinking anymore.

"Umm, I thought just the one, but my glass just kept getting refilled, so I don't know... three or four...no, it was five?" she decided "Five. How many shots is that?"

"Too many." replied Sesshomaru, but at least she could hold her liquor. Perhaps now she wasn't so tense about dancing.

"Shall we to the dance floor?" he asked, taking her arm and helping her up.

Anya was perfectly normal, she was only feeling much calmer and was enjoying herself much more now than she had been before the drinks. She'd started drinking because she'd been thinking of her mother, and introducing Sesshomaru to her. Actually she didn't even know what to expect from her mother, wether she would even look at her again was worth at least a passing thought. The fact was, that Anya was hurt a lot by her mother's neglect since her father had died. She had started drinking in grade 11, to ease the pain of the bruises, and to forget about her problems at to have a good time. Though she realized later that it wasn't the right thing to do, and she imediately quit before she became another drunk like her mother. If there was one thing she wanted, it was that her mother would have no adverse influence on her, it was one thing that she swore would never happen to her.

"Alright, I am warning you that I know none of the steps, so I'm trusting you with my honor." she smiled and followed him to the danse floor.

Sesshomaru briefly wondered why he had offered to dance with her, when he usually held out on the dancing until the very last dance, when it was only polite and honorable to dance once with somebody. Then again, he was mated now, and previously he had not been mated, and was less than desirous to dance with any of the ogling demonesses who it seemed were very eager to dance with him. He looked down at Anya with a small smile, barely visible to those who weren't looking, thinking about how much he'd changed since he met her. Truthfully he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "I'm sure you'll be fine, you have all that combat training, there's your grace there." he said as though it were an observation.

"Yes, well I'm only balanced when I know my life is in danger." she masked her face with a smile to hide any emotions rippling under the surface.

"Would it help if I told you that if you don't dance properly you will be in mortal peril?" he asked uncertaily.

"No, because I know it's not true." she said tersely, "Why don't we just go for it and if I mess up we'll change the dance!" she smiled, and as the music started up they danced.

Sesshomaru was not surprised to find that Anya had natural talent, even though she didn't know any of the steps, but he'd always thought that she was very able to adapt to new situations.

As they returned to their seats after a couple of songs, Anya was exhausted. Well, not exhausted per say, but unwilling to further participate in that particular endevor. Thankfully, the banquet was dwindling to an end, and everyone was departing to their rooms exhausted from not only all the dancing, but also from the whole day of tournament fighting, and all the previous days aswell.

Sesshomaru and Anya, as Host and Hostess, were required to stay until the end of this banquet, because it was the final of the tournament. As it was getting to be around one in the morning, and Anya was already tired, she decided that the final think left was to have polite conversation with the remaining demons and demonesses. She spied some fairly polite looking demonesses around the same age looking as her, and plucked up her courage to go and introduce herself.

"Hello, are you having a nice time?" she asked a friendly looking dragon demoness. Anya had a fairly full glass of sake in her hand, and took a small sip, keeping in mind she'd already had five, so she should probably start pacing herself.

The demoness returned her genuine smile, and Anya wondered briefly why she hadnever seen her around during the tournament before. "Oh, I'm having a wonderful time! This is amazing, I've never been to a Tournament before? Is this your first also?" she asked conversationally.

Anya kept her smile, but she felt that there was something not quite obvious about her mannerisms. "Yes, actually it is my first also, but I seriously doubt it will be my last." she laughed, letting nothing of her suspicions rise to the surface. She was certain that there was something very wrong about this demon and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Mmm, yes. Next tournament I think I might like to try fighting, though I will definitely have to train much harder in order to even stand up to some of the contestants. You seemed to have no trouble though, did you? Lord Sesshomaru-sama was quite surprised at your strength I'm sure." she smiled knowingly.

Anya had made up her mind, this demoness was here on a mission. A spy? "I don't think he was, in fact, he know pretty much the extent of my strength." she replied with a hint of amusement in her tone.

The demoness discretely glanced around the room, almost confirming Anya's suspicions. She kept wishing that she could hear what she was thinking, so that she could tell if she was a spy or just suspicious. Anya was just debating whether to just straight out ask her if she was a spy, when Kaito waltzed up beside her.

"Are you a spy?" Anya asked straight out, she had decided to just ask since either way she was going to say no, but it depends on how she says no, and then she can get a look at her body language.

Kaito coughed, "I think you've had a few too many to drink Lady Anya." he took the drink away from Anya casually and attempted to relocate her discretely, but Anya wouldn't have any of it.

"You are aren't you?" she whispered so low that no demon could hear her other than the one she was talking to.

The demoness looked at her rather startled. "I'm sorry, I honestly don't know what you're talking about." she replied, with all outward calm.

Anya on the other hand was certain, and she was very rarely wrong. She could smell a lie a mile away, and this demoness was lying, bare-faced, and not very well either. "From one professional to another, don't glance around the room, it's obvious and makes you stand out." she smiled, continuing with the whispering.

Kaito glanced nervously around for Sesshomaru, catching his eye, he silently and discretely beckoned him over.

"I-I wasn't... I'm not sure you understand, I'm not what you say I am!" replied the demoness, her tone now quite disturbed.

Anya smiled. "So while we'reon this subject, which one of these fabulous guests do you report to?" she asked flashing a winning smile.

The demoness was now quite flustered, but it seemed that the three were not under any outside observation. "I'm not working for anyone."

Anya's face had ceased to smile, and was now transformed into her battle hardened impassive expression. "Alright, shall we take a stroll then? Kaito, you may come aswell." she said.

Kaito flashed a helpless glance at the demoness and ushered them out into the garden where he was sure Anya's interrogation would begin.

Once Anya was sure they were alone, she lost her outward cheerful demeanor. "Alright then, since you won't talk I'll just have to make you talk. Who are you working for?" her voice still low, but there was an edge to it that had not been there before, and to all intents and purposes was quite unnerving.

Kaito stepped between them at this moment. He was fairly certain that Anya would do anything to get the answers she wanted, and this was not a particularly great time to be doing so. "Anya why don't you let me handle this?" he suggested just as Sesshomaru found them.

"What seems to be the problem here?" asked Seshomaru noticing a drastic change in Anya's mood.

Anya completely disregarded him. "Tell me who you're working for before I have to beat it out of you, and then I'll purify your limbs one by one until you either tell me or are in too much pain to tell me." she treatened darkly, thinking briefly that she would make a pretty good evil villain.

"Uhm, I-I'm working for..." began the demoness, and noticed Kaito's surprised expression and stopped. She hardened, and stopped speaking. "I'm not working for anyone, and if you refuse to believe me then you'll just have to kill me and then it won't matter." she spat.

Anya knew she was a spy, and was determined to figure out who she was working for. "Even if you don't tell me who it is, I will still find out. You see when I purify you, I get to hear your last thoughts, and that means regardless I will figure out who you're working for. It is up to you whether I gain this information from you alive, or otherwise..." she trailed off, leaving much to the imagination of her victim.

The demoness supressed a strangled cry, "Alright, Lord Aki. I'm working for Lord Aki, and he wanted me to spy on you and report on your weaknesses, so that he could... well, I suppose you know why he wants to know your weaknesses don't you?" she asked.

Anya smirked at Kaito's expressionless face. "Oh please, do I look stupid? He wants to kill me? Why?" she demanded menacingly.

"He-he wants-" her eyes went wide in shock, before crumbling in pain to the ground, an arrow sticking out of her back, her heart pierced.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Anya observed mildly, glancing around for whence came the arrow. She didn't seem all that interested in finding it. Turning to Kaito she frowned. "Don't second guess me. I don't say things for no reason. If you had been doing your job properly you would have found her first." she berated him harshly.

"How was I supposed to know she was a spy? She was nothing like any spy I've ever seen!" Kaito defended himself.

"You make it your business to know. Kaito, who trained you? Don't you know that there are more than one type of spy? She was obviously a very poor spy, but you should have been able to sniff her out." continued Anya. "And why did you take my drink away?" she asked.

Sesshomaru was still frowning down at the body of the spy. "This is not good." he observed.

Anya turned to him, as though noticing for the first time that he was here. "Yes I agree." she said.

"I don't know much about tournaments, but I assume that this is meant to be a place where there are no spies. Am I right?" she asked.

Sesshomaru and Kaito nodded in unison. They were both staring at the body willing it to disappear spontaneously. They conferred silently, "What do you want to do about it?" asked Kaito, to which Sesshomaru just shrugged.

"Hide it until everyone has left, and then we'll dispose of it properly. The usual." he sighed, and caught Anya's arm. "Come on, this party has suddenly become quite tiresome." he gripped Anya's arm a little tighter than she was comfortable with.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked, confused with the hand clutching her arm painfully.

"No, but this knowledge brings up a few other concerns of mine." he replied, loosening his grasp slightly so that she was no longer in pain.

Anya stopped, "Sesshomaru just promise me one thing." she began and waited until he was paying full attention to her. "Sesshomaru, whatever it is, I don't want to be kept in the dark about this kind of thing. I've known from experience that keeping others uninformed about this type of stuff does nothing to protect them, no matter how much you think it does. Ignorance does not mean safety. The only way I can tryuly protect myself is by knowing everything as it happens so that I can take the appropriate measures to defend myself. If I have to go away for a while I'm prepared to do so, but don't just send me away without telling me what is going on because that does nothing." her voice wavered.

Sesshomaru observed her pleading face with uncertainty. He had always managed to keep others out of harms way though maintaining a healthy ignorance, but he was beginning to believe her slightly. "Tomorrow we visit your home, and when we get back we'll deal with this problem. Fair?" he asked.

Anya let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, that's fair. Thank you." she smiled, noticing how he said 'we' would get to the bottom of this problem. She hated to be left out of all the interesting events in life.

They made their way back into the banquet hall, to see Lord Aki scowling unhappily at one of his Guardians, and glancing dubiously over at Anya periodically.

Anya leaned over to Sesshomaru, "Yeah, you remember that thing you wanted to deal with tomorrow. I bet you're not the only one who knows about it." she comented curtly, not to raise attention, much like a passing fantasy.

Sesshomaru nodded, "Yes, I would assume that, since I was not the one to finish the job." he replied casually. He briefly wondered why Anya had picked up on that novice as quickly as she had. He wouldn't have notice her before it was too late, though of course if asked, he would never admit it.

Anya was slightly saddened that not even a month after coming to live here with Sesshomaru, she was already the target of assassination attempts. It was just disheartening, and she was only a little upset, but then again, since coming to this time, she had been kidnapped, posessed and forced to to god knows what kind of evil things in the name of Naraku, mated, almost wiped out of existence, and now there were demons after her life. In thinking about all this, she gave a slight chukle, recieving a strangely bemused look from Sesshomaru who it appeared was thinking the exact same thing as she was.

"Well at least I've not turned on you." he murmured seductively in her ear. He gently caressed her hair with his hand, posessively.

Although Anya was completely oblivious to the posessiveness of Sesshomaru's actions the rest of the evening, everybody else was faced with it at every meeting with the pair, and Lord Aki was beginning to feel slightly squirmish under Sesshomaru, Kaito, Raishun, Takeru, and Saeki's intense glares. Akio was surprisingly nowhere to be found, though everyone just supposed he was on rounds duty, which ws reasonable.

Still, with all the commotion that had just occurred, Anya was a little suspicious of everyone at the moment. 'No', she thought tersely to herself, 'If I start thinking like this I'll never get to sleep at night!' she frantically thought of something to distract herself with, and saw a serving plate with glasses of sake on it and grabbed two, downing one in one gulp, and sipping precariously at the second. "I think I'm turning into my mother, oh god anything but that." she muttered unhapily. "Here." she placed the drink in Sesshomaru's hands and went to grab some water.

The guests had dwindled to only a handful, and Sesshomaru could tell that they were soon going to be leaving to their rooms. Then the next day, everyone would be going back to their own respective lands. "Anya, there's nobody left to entertain, and I'm sure you're tired, we've got a tiring day ahead of us tomorrow also." Sesshomaru said as the last guests left the hall for bed.

"Oh god. You know, I just want to stay here. I don't think it would be a good idea to go home like this." she said miserably. "I'm sorry, just don't ever give me alcohol again." she sighed. "Sesshy, carry me to bed?" she held her arms up to indicate he should lift her.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "I think I agree with you, alcohol is not your friend." he commented. Stooping low, he gathered Anya in his sexy arms and cradled her against himself. "Don't worry about going home, we can always leave." he reassured her lovingly and carried her back to her bedroom.

Placing her gently in her bed, as she had fallen asleep in his arms, he moved her hair out of her face and caressed her cheek lovingly with the back of his hand, and leaned down to kiss her pouty lips. He decided that he was going to break his promise to her, and keep the details of what Lord Aki was up to to himself and the Guardians.


	12. A Journey Approaches

**Chapter 12**

Dark clouds threatened the morning as it was looking very much like it was going to rain. The day had progressed well into the afternoon by the time all the guests had awoken, and departed. Anya and Sesshomaru were exhausted and in no mood for travel, so they had decided that they would instead leave their traveling back to Anya's home for when they were both well rested and feeling up to the journey.

This played well into Anya's favor since she was more than reluctant to return to her own time and tell her mother that she was now mated to the most powerful demon lord of the west, Sesshomaru. Actually she was sure that her mother wouldn't care at all, which was essentially what she was afraid of in the end. In truth, she still wanted her mother to accept her, but she was slowly beginning to come to the realization that it was a waste of energy and mental stability to continue on in this fashion. Perhaps she should go back just to get some closure. She had been away for over two months now, and if her mother had any real concerns or feelings for her, she would know it the moment she returned home.

After having lived under Sesshomaru's protection for the past month, she was beginning to get an idea of what it feels like to be loved, needed, appreciated, and it was disheartening in a way, because now she understood what it was she had been deprived of in her childhood from her mother.

Presently she was sitting outside in the rain, feeling sorry for herself, but thankful that Sesshomaru didn't know that she was out there. Sometimes she just liked to be alone with her thoughts, and it was in these few and fleeting moments tha she let her barriers fall, and left herself open and vulnerable.

The problems in her left were sometimes too much for her to handle, and she just needed some time to sort them out. Since coming here to the feudal era, she had felt her problems float away, but now, being faced with her family problems again, she felt them all coming back to her in a rush.

Sighing, she turned her gaze upwards to the clouds. They looked dark and menacing, charged with pent up energy and looked ready to explode. Around her, the birds had all sought shelter from the storm, which is what she should have done, rather than exposed herself to the elements like she had so casually done. She had been hoping to catch a terrible cold, so that she would be bed-ridden and would be unable to make the journey back to the well. Though now she was beginning to think that she should just go and get it over with, because the sooner they left, the sooner they would get back and she could continue on in her life. The other problem she was concerned about was what if she couldn't get back through the well once she had passed back to her time. She didn't want to risk being stuck in that god-forsaken place now that she had found such a nice home here for herself. She knew that she wouldn't be able to bear living away from Sesshomaru now that she was so close to him. It was just something she couldn't do and she really didn't want to risk it, but on the other hand, she couldn't see herself having children of her own until she had patched things up with her mother. If she never did that was fine, she just needed to be sure that she wouldn't ever turn out like her at all, not even fleetingly, not even on a bad day! She never wanted to treat anyone like she'd been treated.

Deciding that she needed to go home, and find some sort of comfort in her relationships there, Anya blinked the rain out of her eyes, and pulled her rain-drenched hair out of her face, and squeezed out the water, not that it helped much because it just became drenched seconds later. It was raining harder now that when she had first come out, and she was beginning to hear the far off sound of thunder echoing through the mountains and valleys. Having no desire to be caught out in a thunderstorm, she stood from her closs-legged position on the garden bench, and started back to the house.

Completely drenched, Anya made her way, shivering, back to her bedroom to change. Her clothes clung tightly to her form, reminding her how cold it was outside in the rain, and how much she wished she was still back in bed curled up in Sesshomaru's arms. Though, when she had awoken this morning, her head had felt like it was going to split in two, and she had felt that a walk in the drizzle would clear the haze from her vision. It had helped a lot, and now she had sorted out her feelings, and decided upon the proper course of action, she was feeling much better and ready to go back to civilization. She would go and change, possibly bathe, and tell Sesshomaru that they would leave tomorrow.

Peering into her bedroom, she noticed that there was a small Rin sitting on her bed looking bored. She immediately stood to attention when Anya walked in, looking scared.

"Oh, hello Rin-chan, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?" asked Anya, smiling kindly at the child, who relaxed at her pleasant tone.

"I was hiding from Jaken-sama, and then I thought I would come cheer you up, because Sesshomaru-sama said you needed cheering up." she smiled a toothy grin at Anya.

"Well... I was just going to take a bath, if you want to have a bath too? The hot spring is really nice, and there's a waterfall with rocks you can jump off of if you want to!" she smiled.

Rin's face lit up, "Okay!" she exclaimed excitedly. Smiling hapily, she followed behind Anya on her way to the hot springs. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the magnificent room. "Wow! It's so big! I love it!" she exclaimed.

Anya smiled, thinking about how when she did have children, she wanted a little girl exactly like Rin. "Yes, I thought the exact same thing too when I first saw this room, but enough ogling, I'm cold so lets get in." Anya suggested as she shrugged off her soaking wet clothes and lowered herself into the steaming water.

"Lady Anya-sama..." began Rin hesitantly after she had followed suit and was sitting beside Anya on the ledge in the water.

"Yes Rin? What is it?" Anya encouraged her to continue.

"Ummm... Do you love Sesshomaru-sama?" she asked shyly.

Anya thought about her question for a moment before replying. "Yes, I do Rin. I love Sesshomaru very much." she answered truthfully. It actually surprised her at how strongly she felt about him. She'd never experienced the feeling 'Love' before in her life, that she could recall strongly, and she was almost brought to tears. But she held them back and forced a cheerful smile to her face in order to reassure Rin that she was in fact sincere.

Rin sighed in relief.

"Why do you ask Rin?" asked Anya curiously, she hadn't thought that she'd shown anything but love and affection towards him the whole time that she'd been here.

Rin smiled, "Well, the ladies in the kitchens were saying that Sesshomaru-sama was completely different not that you are here, and that it would be a shame if you weren't really in love with him. He would be devasted... deverst... umm."

"Devastated?" offered Anya, figuring that was the word she was after.

"Yes devastated. Sesshomaru would be devastated if you were only using him. I don't know what all that means but it doesn't sound very nice." Rin said seriously, with such a grave expression on her childish face that it made Anya want to laugh, though she was sure Rin would not take kindly to being laughed at when she felt that her concerns were very important to her.

Instead, Anya smiled kindly at Rin. "I love Sesshomaru just as much as you do Rin, just in a different way. When I first came to live here, I didn't know Sesshomaru at all, and I certainly didn't know that he was a Lord, a King. But even if he was so poor that he didn't even have a home I would still love him! Do you want to know why?" asked Anya feelingly.

"Because he saved you from wolves?" offered Rin.

Anya thought about this for a second. "Well sort of, I mean he did save me from Naraku's possession... but no, I love him because he is the only person that has ever shown me what it feels like to be loved, and it is a very nice feeling to be loved." she finished.

"Me aswell! That's why I stay here. Lord Sesshomaru-sama saved me from the wolves that attacked my village. They killed everyone, and Lord Sesshomaru-sama brought me back with his sword! It was like I had never been dead at all!" marvelled Rin excitedly.

Anya was shocked. "You were... dead? Where were your parents during all of this? How could you have been dead?" asked Anya disbelief creeping into her voice.

"My parents? I don't have any parents. They died when I was very young. I was living with my uncle, but he was a bad man, and the wolf demons came for him, and then the wolves killed everyone in the village." Replied Rin nonchalant. It was as though she was perfectly alright with everything that had happened, and it was completely normal to die and then be brought back to life.

It was strange how Rin could be so cheerful about something so depressing. Feeling wetness on her cheek, Anya quickly swiped it away and looked at her fingertips skocked.

"Why are you crying Lady Anya-chan?" asked Rin, concerned as she moved over to look at Anya in the face.

"I'm sorry Rin, I never knew why you were here, I just assumed... I don't know what I assumed... I just..." she trailed off as the tears cascaded down her cheeks falling into the water and leaving ripples.

"Please don't feel sorry for me! I'm so happy now! Just like you are so happy! Please don't cry Anya-chan, or I'll start to cry too!" exclaimed Rin frantically.

Anya couldn't help the tears from falling, as she thought about her own life and realized that it wasn't as bad as having no parents at all, or being killed by wolves. "I'm sorry, I can't help it!" whispered Anya.

Rin looked at her with tears in her eyes, and flung her arms around Anya's neck telling her that everything was alright now and she didn't have to cry anymore.

Anya would have laughed had she been able to see herself right now, but alack, she was too overwrought with sad emotions even to notice Sesshomaru entering the hot springs to see the two crying sliently.

He entertained thoughts of just turning around and leaving them to their strange female ways, when he was spotted by Rin, and his window of opportunity vanished.

"Oh no! Lady Anya! You should hide, it's Lord Sesshomaru, and you're not wearing any clothes." she whispered urgently in Anya's ear.

Anya's tear ceased, and she chuckled quietly, and decided not to scar Rin's poor childhood further. "Alright," out loud she asked Sesshomaru to turn around while she and Rin get dressed, which he did, and then they got out and dried off and got dressed again. She then walked around and faced him, her face comletely void of tears and looking as though she had never cried at all. Rin though, was a little worse for wear.

Sesshomaru though regardless could still taste her salty tears in the air, being that it was so humid and the air was so thick and heavy. He just regarded her with a contemplative air. "Are you ready to depart?" he ended up saying with a slightly confused tone in his voice.

Anya giggled. " How about we go tomorrow, I just want to relax today, and gather my thoughts somewhat." she replied wistfully, regarding Sesshomaru with a strange expression as though she had something improtant to discuss with him at a later time.

He raised an eyebrow at her expression, but it lasted only but a fleeting expression because at that moment Rin stepped in the middle of them and looked back and forth between their faced, confused, begetting a small laugh from Anya.

"What is the matter Rin?" asked Sesshomaru, holding his calm facade strongly in place while he surveyed her casually.

Frowning, Rin sighed. "O, nothing, I just thought something was wrong." she said cheerfully. "But I guess nothing is wrong is it?" she asked. Her tears had also ceased the moment Sesshomaru had walked in.

"No, but I am wondering what Anya said to you to make you cry earlier. Did she hurt you?" he asked giving Anya a bemused sidelong glance.

Rin's cheerfull expression turned to shock, "Oh no no my Lord! An- Lady Anya-sama would never hurt me! I was the one that made her cry! I said I was sorry, and I didn't mean it at all." she said gravely.

This time Anya couldn't help but laugh. "Rin-chan, don't worry it wasn't just what you said, I have a lot of things on my mind right now. It wasn't your fault so don't blame anyone alright Rin?" Anya reassured her.

Sesshomaru's eyebrow was again raised. He had no idea why the two women had been crying, but perhaps he knew why Anya was so emotional, but he didn't want to tell her just yet, she had been so opposed to becoming a mother. He was sure that once she figured it out then she wouldn't be so against it, but for now he felt that there were some very bad feelings inside of her regarding family and expecially children. "You made my Anya-chan cry?" joked Sesshomaru, much to Rin's surprise who took it very seriously as her bottom lip started trembling.

"Sesshomaru look what you've done you mean beast! Come here Rin, I forgive you, and so does Sesshomaru, do you forgive me for making you cry?" she asked as she bent down and picked Rin up in her arms.

Rin nodded and hugged Anya tightly. "I'm sorry, I forgive you too." she said her voice wavered.

"Come on Rin, lets go and get something to eat, I'm suddenly feling very hungry." Anya suggested to which Rin agreed readily. "So why were you sitting on my bed this morning? Is it just because you wanted to talk to me or is there something else?" asked Anya as she and Rin walked away leaving Sesshomaru standing confused and feeling slighted.

Later that day, when Anya and Sesshomaru were finally alone, Anya relayed everything Rin had told her to Sesshomaru, whose response was to kill all the help for gossiping.

"Pshaw, don't do that! They can't help but gossip, it's their only form of entertainment! Don't you see how everybody here looks up to you. You're their idol, and they worry so much about you. They just don't know me yet, so they have to gossip about all the evil things I'll do! Then when they figure out that I'm not like that they'll calm down. Don't fret so, besides we have a long grueling journey ahead, followed by a tense and unpleasant welcome from my mother." Anya sighed dolorously.

Sesshomaru grunted displeasingly. "It won't be as bad as what you're making it out to be. Besides, if you are put into any kind of harm I will simply remove you from that harm." he reassured her.

Anya smiled sacrastically. "Oh certainly, just like that. If only it were that easy." Anya sighed ruefully, bringing her eyes up to look into Sesshomaru's, she stared intently for a few seconds before looking away thoughtfully. "Well, if I don't go, I'll never be able to move on, and that would affect you aswell, so I should just be happy that I get to go home and say goodbye to everyone there." she concluded maturely.

Sesshomaru gathered her to himself and hugged her tightly. "Come, lets go to bed and rest and tomorrow we'll leave first thing." he said and pulled her down to sleep.

Anya awoke before the sun had even risen, feeling Sesshomaru's absence. Wandering into Sesshomaru's bedroom, Anya found that Sesshomaru was already up, and rifling through a few loose papers on his desk. She was surprised to find his desk was quite disorderly whereas it was usually so organized and neat. Something must have happened, she concluded regretfully. He didn't seem to notice her as he continued to look for the desired paper, so Anya came closer to his desk with the intention of helping him look for whatever it was he wanted.

Sesshomaru's head jerked up as he noticed her presence. "What are you doing up? It's not even three in the morning yet?" he asked calmly surprised, but Anya could sense the apprehension in his tone. Something had gone very wrong indeed. Sesshomaru was usually the one who knew where she was, and the fact that she had surprised him with her presence was evidence enough to confirm her suspicions. He had returned his attention to the papers on his desk, and paused as he seemed to find the one he wanted. Anya was more than a little unnerved at his expression. He held a handwritten letter, one he'd obviously overlooked during the chaos that was the tournament, but now it warranted his attention. She wanted to ask him about the contents, instead she just stood there quietly, waiting for him to let her in. His eyes sought hers, and flashed her an apologetic glance before reaching out and taking her wrist in his hand.

"I have to go and take care of something. We'll have to postpone our journey. Go back to bed, don't wait up. I don't know how long this will take." He said gruffly.

Anya frowned, he was leaving her out. "I understand, be careful." she replied calmly, despite her adverse feelings. From the angry expression she had percieved underneath hit outward expression of calm, she suspected that it was a problem she should leave him to deal with on his own.

With a last look, Sesshomaru released Anya's arm and gripping the letter strongly in his hand, he quickly exited the room.

Kaito and Raishun were waiting patiently for Sesshomaru at the front entrance, as they had been instructed. A sombre silence stretched out between the two, like an ever expanding void, filling with all the words they couldn't bring themselves to say.

Raishun had known something was up, and he cursed himself for not being able to see it sooner. He noticed Kaito's posture straighten as Sesshomaru flew into the room, ready to go.

Sesshomaru shoved the letter into Raishun's hands and continued out of the building, tying his swords tightly to his belt as he went.

"Akio... how?" Raishun was at a loss for words.

Kaito grabbed the loosely held letter and read for himself. "We've been duped. With the tournament taking all our time and energy he'd gone and set all this up! How did I miss it?" Kaito cursed himself. "Does Lady Anya know?" asked Raishun, following closely Sesshomaru.

"No, and she doesn't need to. This will be dealt with this night and will have no presence further in the day." his words were final. There was no need worrying Anya with meaningless squabbles. "It is nothing that we are incapable of dispatching on our own." continued Sesshomaru, as though he were trying to justify his decision to keep Anya out of this after he'd promised to share everything with her.

Kaito and Raishun exchanged a glance. They'd never been ones to question their Lord's decisions, but as for this one, they weren't sure why he'd decided what he had.

"Were are Saeki and Takeru?" asked Kaito, but he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Saeki is protecting Anya, and Takeru is home guard tonight." Sesshomaru answered briskly. There was no room for idle chit-chat when he was feeling this betrayed. Though to be honest he knew that Akio was a spy, he'd know from the moment he brought Anya to meet all of the Guardians that he was a spy. He should have executed him on the spot, but his selfish desire to find the greater evil let him slip further past his defenses.

Soon they arrived in a clearing and Sesshomaru stopped abruptly. "This is it. Prepare yourselves." was all that he said before the attack came. The next few minutes were a chaotic reverie of limbs and bloodshed and at the end the three were still standing, hardly having broken a sweat.

"You were a fool to think that this could have stopped me." Sesshomaru laughed mockingly at the last remaining survivor.

"And you are a fool to think that you were the main target." replied the general as Sesshomaru's poison whip cleaved him in two.

"Damn." grunted Sesshomaru as he took off for the palace. "Anya."

Saeki rushed in shortly after Sesshomaru had left in a panic. "We're under attack Lady Anya! We have to leave now." she ushered Anya into a secret passageway that led to the gardens.

"Why are we running? Shouldn't we have stayed behind to help? I'm no weakling..." Anya protested, but continued after Saeki regardless.

"There are too many. It's best to get you out and safe, and then leave the vermin to Lord Sesshomaru." Saeki told her.

"What about Rin and the other children." asked Anya suddenly, stopping.

"They're already out, led by the servants. Don't worry, we'll meet up with them soon." Saeki replied as they rushed through the gardens to the forest outside.

"This has got something to do with that letter Sesshomaru had earlier. He wouldn't let me know what it was, but I knew it was something big." Anya sighed, but continued to run after Saeki.

"Hold up, something's coming." Saeki stopped abruptly, and readied herself in an atack position.

"Sesshomaru." Anya said and Saeki relaxed.

Sesshomaru, Raishun and Kaito stopped as they saw Anya and Saeki standing outside in the woods, worried expressions on their faces.

"Anya, you're alright?" Sesshomaru asked, walking over to her and hugging her to his chest.

Anya was a little at a loss for what to say, "Yes, physically. I don't understand why all of a sudden you're so... so clingy and possessive. It's creeping me out. You know I'm not some weakling, so just cut it out already. Is there something going on that I don't know about?" she asked, searching Sesshomaru's eyes for the answers she sought.

Sesshomaru wondered if he should tell her, but then decided to let her find out on her own. "Akio is behind this. He's after you. You aren't safe here until I've killed him." Sesshomaru replied, stroking Anya's face lovingly. "I didn't want to concern you. It was supposed to be quick and easy and instead he decides that this time he's going to be sneaky, which is what I've been trying to get him to do since I became Lord. The only time he uses his talent is against me, how fitting of a snake."

Anya searched his eyes, she could tell there was something he wasn't saying, but he didn't seen unhappy about it, which confused her. She frowned up at him. "Alright, you can keep your secrets for now, but you better not be sleeping around or anything..." she said warily.

"What?" asked Sesshomaru. "The palace is being attacked and you pick now to question my loyalty? Come on, we have a home to protect. We'll have this conversation later." he said with a sly smile and took her hand in his and made his way back to the palace.

They had exterminated the brutes a little over an hour later, and everything was more or less back to normal. Anya leaned her back against Sesshomaru as he wrapped his arms around her standing out in the garden as the rising sun illuminated the once beautiful flowers that were now bloodstained and destroyed.

Anya sighed at the sight, it pained her so that her peaceful recluse was no longer so peaceful, instead it was a constant reminder of Akio's betrayal. "So what now?" asked Anya quietly.

It was a while before Sesshomaru sighed and hugged Anya closer to his chest. "The same as every other time, we rebuild and restore the palace to it's original beauty." he replied so quietly that had his mouth not been touching her ear, she probably wouldn't have heard him.

Gazing forlornly at the grounds, Anya wondered why everytime they were to do something together, there was always some problem that had to be taken care of first. "I wish that everyone would just leave us alone." she sighed.

Sesshomaru chuckled, "But where is the fun in that?" he asked.

Anya rolled her eyes. "You're just trying to make me feel better, but it won't work. Perhaps you take pleasure in killing others, but I don't like it. I will if I have to, but I don't like it." she concluded.

Sesshomaru kissed Anya's neck lightly, sending shivers down her spine. "I know you don't." he assured her quietly. Resting his chin on her shoulder, Sesshomaru sighed.

"So i guess we're going to have to wait to go back to see my mother then aren't we?" asked Anya, knowing the answer before she'd even asked the question.

"Yes, that will have to wait until I've rooted out the problem before we go back to your home. Sorry Anya." he whispered.

Anya was a little dissapointed, but she could completely understand why they couldn't go, just now she didn't know if she'd even have the nerve to go anymore. She'd only built up the nerve this morning, and now it was night and she'd already lost it. How was she going to build up the courage again?

A/N: Sorry for the impossibly long wait, it even seemed very long to me but with moving, and working to pay my rent I've had absolutely no time to write, not to mention we only got internet the other day...it's hard living on your own out from your parent's care. Well I'm 18 now and i need my space, so yeah, the important thing is that I've updated at last! Well my first year of University is coming up fast so i don;t know when i will be able to update again, but i will try my very hardest! Reviews will definitely motivate me to update faster though! review review review Luv Abs


End file.
